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Antoni Gaudí

1852–1926 · Spanish

On the evening of 7 June 1926[1], Antoni Gaudí was struck by a tram on the streets of Barcelona. Dressed in the threadbare clothes he had worn for years, he was mistaken for a beggar; cab drivers refused to take him to hospital assuming he could not pay. Friends found him the following day at a charity ward for the poor, and when they urged him to move somewhere better he refused. "I belong with the poor," he said. He died two days later and was buried in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia, the church he had spent four decades building and would never see finished.

Key facts

Lived
1852–1926, Spanish[1]
Movement
[1]
Works held in
2 museums
Wikipedia
View article

Biography

Gaudí was born in 1852[1] near Tarragona, the son of coppersmiths. A childhood rheumatoid condition kept him out of school; he spent those years exploring the Catalan countryside, developing the close reading of natural form that would define everything he later built. Barcelona's architecture school gave him his diploma in 1878[1]; whether he was a genius or a madman, his tutors reportedly could not agree.

His great patron was the industrialist Eusebio Güell, who funded Casa Batlló, with its fish-scale roof and wave-carved interiors, and Park Güell (begun 1900[1]), originally planned as a garden village for Barcelona's wealthy. Casa Milà, finished around 1907 and immediately nicknamed "La Pedrera" (the Quarry) by sardonic neighbours, went further: an undulating stone facade, rooftop chimneys like armoured warriors, iron balconies like tangled seaweed.

The Sagrada Familia consumed the final twelve years of his life. He built it around parabolic curves, which he called "the keystone of a sacred geometry rooted in the Creation." In 1925[1] he moved into a room in the church's crypt, wore rags, and began begging wealthy donors for alms. When asked about the slow pace of building, he replied: "My client is not in a hurry." His plans were destroyed by anarchists during the Spanish[1] Civil War. Construction continues today.

Timeline

  1. 1852Born near Tarragona, the son of coppersmiths.
  2. 1878Received his architecture diploma in Barcelona.
  3. 1900Began work on Park Güell in Barcelona; it was originally planned as a garden village.
  4. 1907Casa Milà was finished; neighbours nicknamed it "La Pedrera".
  5. 1914Devoted the final twelve years of his life to the Sagrada Familia.
  6. 1925Moved into a room in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia.
  7. 1926Died in Barcelona at 74, after being struck by a tram.

Notable Works

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is Antoni Gaudí known for?
    Antoni Gaudí is known for his Art Nouveau creations. His style reflects the Catalan nationalism of the period, drawing heavily upon Mediterranean architectural traditions. One example is Casa Milà, a large apartment house.
  • Who was Antoni Gaudí?
    Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was born in 1852[1] in the Spanish[1] province of Tarragona. He entered architecture school in Barcelona in 1870[1], where he then settled. He collaborated with Francisco de Paula del Villar to restore the chapel of the Montserrat monastery in 1876 and 1877.
  • What was Antoni Gaudí's art style?
    Antoni Gaudí's art style is Art Nouveau. He longed to create a style that was both modern and appropriate to his country. He took inspiration from Moorish-Spanish[1] architecture and from the simple architecture of his native Catalonia.
  • When was Antoni Gaudí born?
    Antoni Gaudí was born in 1852[1]. Antoni Gaudí died in 1926[1], aged 74.
  • How did Antoni Gaudí die?
    Antoni Gaudí died in 1926[1] at the age of 74.

Sources

Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Antoni Gaudí.

  1. [1] wikipedia Wikipedia: Antoni Gaudí Used for: biography, birth dates, death dates, identifiers, movement attribution, nationality.
  2. [2] book Jesse Bryant Wilder, MA, MAT, Art History For Dummies Used for: stylistic analysis.
  3. [3] book Jesse Bryant Wilder, Art History For Dummies Used for: biography.
  4. [4] book Jean Lahor, Art Nouveau Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
  5. [5] book Penelope J.E. Davies, Walter B. Denny, Frima Fox Hofrichter, Joseph Jacobs, Ann S. Roberts, David L. Simon, Janson's History of Art_ The Western Tradition (8th Edition) Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
  6. [6] book Charlene Spretnak (auth.), The Spiritual Dynamic in Modern Art _ Art History Reconsidered, 1800 to the Present Used for: biography.

Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-17. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.

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