Oh. My. Gaudi.
Anybody ready to go back to Spain with me?
I havent had a chance to share much of our Barcelona trip during my busy months, and there is still so much I want to record into this journal.
Because I have not yet found the words to describe such a visual trip, I will bring my favorite parts of Barcelona to you mostly through photographs.
My favorite architect/visionary of all time is Antonio Gaudi. (1852-1926) Barcelona is full of his indescribable Art Nouveau work. He designed private homes that wink like startling jewels in an otherwise unassuming residential street. He designed enormous sculptural apartment houses, as well as whimsical street lamps. Other larger projects included Park Guell and the stunning Sagrata Familia Cathedral. (His organic, freeform constructions must have nearly caused the workers of those days to go mad!) My mind was boggled. How did they DO that?
Don and I walked or took the subway to anywhere we wanted to go around Barcelona. We knew that Gaudi had designed a house for a tile-maker which was not far from our apartment, so we wandered until we found it. Behind a fence designed with the familiar Gaudi Palm Leaves .
was this hidden house.
In a downtown area was the famous Casa Batilo. We were lucky to be able to tour it nearly by ourselves, and took our time wandering the interior rooms and attics.
We walked on sidewalks paved with Gaudi designs and passed Gaudi lamp posts
.and several blocks later, we came to this huge apartment house.
This is a top view (photos which I did not take) to show you how truly bizarre Gaudis architectural vision wasespecially for 1912!
Here are some interior photographs and some shots from one of the apartments furnished at the height of the Art Nouveau period.
These are chimneys and images from the roof terrace
Park Guell was six blocks away from our apartment. It was originally designed to be a small community with houses, schools and shopping in the midst of woods and walkways. These are shots of the pavilions and open areas.
And Ill leave you with photos of the magnificently odd, melted looking Sagrada Familia, an astonishing cathedral still under construction. It was begun under Gaudis design and direction in the early 1900s.
This is what Gaudi had imagined for the final coloration on the front of the cathedral. It hasnt been done yet, but I would love to go back in another 10 years to see if that detail has been added to the progress.
There will be more, dear ones!
:)xo
Adagio
Those are so great. I want to go to Spain desperately. I’ve read all about Gaudi and his designs.
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i haven’t ever heard of this artist/architect. thank you so much for the pictures and info. i felt as if i was on a tour! now i want to see these things for myself.
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*happy sigh* Gorgeous, as always! 🙂 Be well,
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incredibly pics… but now i have to ask. is that where the word “gaudy” comes from??
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Such an astonishing imagination. And equally astonishing that so much of his vision was able to be built.
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Wow. It seems that lately I have been hearing from all my traveling friends, just how beautiful Barcelona is, how it is their favorite European city. But your pictures have provided insights I couldn’t get from their comments. Awesome. In the true meaning of that now-over used word.
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Wow! Too cool! I’ve heard of him, but I had NO IDEA. Teenster LOVED Barcelona. Portugal and Spain will be our next big trip, I think. I look forward to more of these treasures you share!
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WOW
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I love Gaudi too. If I ever get a new scanner (soon I hope) I’ll have to post my pictures from Barcelona. I have the good fortune to be going to Spain for a month again this summer. We’re bypassing Barcelona this time though. I love the emphasis that Spaniards put on creativity of all kinds. 🙂
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Oh wowwwww!! His designs were amazing! I’d never heard of him, but oh my!! The stuff dreams are made of..but real! Please do share more, A!
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Gorgeous!!!!!
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Amazing pictures. Thank you for taking us back to sunny Spain.
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Amazingly beautiful!!!
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Beautiful!!
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Oh, what a spectacular city! Have never been to Spain. Would love to go sometime. xoxo
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His work is so memorable and incredibly surreal. I love it, it makes me want to go see Barcelona!
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Phenomenal! Makes our buildings look SO boring! Are you going to the Open Diary BBQ this summer? It’d be so fun to see you!
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Oh my dear, how breathtaking!! I so would love knowing the person who performed such magic… Wouldn’t the inside of his brain surely be filled with beautiful thoughts… (and I like you too!)
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…I just realized that I’d read this but never noted. I was in such awe of these structures that I couldn’t believe I wasn’t seeing photos from some fairyland! No wonder you love him! I can certainly see why! I’d never heard of him but then again…I’m not an art person. Hmmm…I wonder if my artistic son has ever heard of him??? I’ll have to ask.
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Simply breathtaking…….what a fantasy world. And such workmanship to build such structures. You were so lucky to be able to experience all of this and take such fabulous photos. What a wonderful trip for you!I hope you get a chance to go back….I hope I do too someday!
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A feast for the eyes! I think the cathedral is over the top, though. 🙂
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I am in complete awe of that artwork/architecture. I have always been a fan of art nouveau, but I’ve never looked at much architecture. You’ve inspired me to get a book on it.
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I’m totally freaking out over these amazing pictures and the juxtaposition and arrangement of them on this page. Did you take all these? I’m just in complete awe. xxoo,
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Fascinating! Thank you for the tour I’ve only seen the one photo of his work in my Gardner’s Art Through the Ages text – wonderful stuff and shows me how very limited my art history course was. Thank you for your kind note Kari – I am going to put all my efforts into healing this foot for our trip to your beautiful state it is going to the highlight of this year. Colorado is stunningly beautiful!
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I love Gaudi, Parc Guell is one of my favourite places – and worth the hike up the hill to get there. Jane and I went to the Sagrada Familia about 8 years ago and promised we wouldn’t go back until it was finished. And ryn: loved the extra background info, thank you!
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This entry is utterly indescribably fantastic. THANK YOU for sharing!!! The cranes and scaffolding on the cathedral’s exterior actually – for once! – seem to enhance the façade. That aspect actually reminds me a *little* of some buildings out here in Seattle, like the Experience Music Project, which deliberately have framework showing, while possessing organic form.
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