Antoni Gaudí's Life, Career, And Tragic Final Days

The Antoni Gaudí Retrospective, on now at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, shines a spotlight on one man's unique vision and lasting legacy. Bruce Scott takes a closer look at his life, his career, and his tragic final days.

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Born in 1852, in the Catalonian region of Spain, Antoni Gaudí is best known for his fantastical architectural creations, which are at times as bizarre and dream-like as the paintings of Salvador Dalí (who, incidentally, is also Catalonian). But Gaudí was not a surrealist, even if some art historians have referred to a few of his later creations as “proto-surrealist”. Instead, he regarded himself as belonging to an emerging movement known as Catalan Modernisme, which was very much in line with the ornamental Art Nouveau style that flourished throughout Europe and the United States between 1890 and 1910.

To fully experience the power of Gaudí's architectural triumphs, you really have to travel to Spain, and Barcelona in particular - where the majority of his creations are to be found. However, for those interested in viewing this iconic artist in a different way - via his drawings, renderings, furniture and houseware designs, the Musée d'Orsay in Paris is currently home to a large retrospective exhibition entitled Gaudí, which runs until July 17, 2022.

Organised by the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris, along with the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) in Barcelona, the show has assembled film, photos, artefacts, original drawings, scale models and even a 3D projection of Gaudí's workshop, all with the aim of exploring how this brilliant architect was not the isolated genius of myth, but was, in fact, very much shaped and influenced by the specific political, social and artistic environment of his day. It also reveals how Gaudí's work ended up transcending the time in which he lived.