Zerbst:Gaudí. The Complete Works. 40th

The life of Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926) was filled with difficulties and contradictions. As a young man, he joined the Catalan nationalist movement and was critical of the Church, while towards the end of his life, he lived like an ascetic, dedicating himself entirely to the construction of a single, remarkable church: the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família. In his youth, he was a vain dandy who indulged in the pleasures of life, yet by 1926, when he died in a tram accident in Barcelona, he appeared so disheveled that passersby mistook him for a beggar.

Gaudí's unparalleled architecture reflects this ambivalence. From the Hispano-Arabic matrix of Casa Vicens to the shimmering textures and skeletal forms of Casa Batlló, his work merges a variety of influences, from natural forms and new materials to Orientalism and Catholicism, into a unique Modernista aesthetic. Today, his distinctive style enjoys worldwide popularity and recognition. His magnum opus, the eternally unfinished Sagrada Família, is the most visited building in Spain and, along with six of his other works, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

With brand new photos, historical images, drawings and plans made by Gaudí himself, as well as a detailed appendix covering all works, from buildings to furniture and decor.