Born June 25, 1852 in Reus, Spain, Antoni Gaudi grew up not knowing of the impact he would leave on Spanish architecture. Gaudi was born into a long line of artisans, his father, grandfather and great-grandfather all worked with copper (Meisler, Stanley). Learning his family craft at a young age, Gaudi left for Barcelona at 16 to complete his education and enroll in a university of architecture there (Meisler, Stanley). While there, “his student work did not please all of his professors”, during his education, Gaudi worked part time in architectural studios and often skipped classes and assignments (Meisler, Stanley). At the end of his schooling the vote on whether or not to pass him was close, however, in 1878 he graduated, with the director …show more content…
“For the next 35 years, the rest of Güell's life, he employed Gaudí as his personal architect, commissioning a host of projects, from mundane laundry facilities to the elegant and stately Palau Güell, his mansion just off La Rambla” (Meisler, Stanley). In 1883, Gaudi also secured a contract to begin work on the Sagrada Familia, “the project was supported by a group of conservative Catholics who wanted a holy edifice where sinners could atone for succumbing to modern temptations”(Meisler, Stanley). It is the Sagrada Familia, that he is most famous for, a towering Cathedral, the masterpiece stands at 566 feet. “It was started in 1884, and Gaudí worked on it for most of his later life, he became so obsessed with the church that he began living in it” (Lior, Noa and Tara Steele). Later, when funds for the project began to run out, Gaudi sold many of his own possessions to raise money; going as far as to beg on the streets (Meisler, Stanley). His father died in 1906, followed soon by his niece in 1912, leaving him with no immediate family (Meisler, Stanley). His bishop and patron of many years, Guell, soon died as well. “‘My best friends are all dead," Gaudí, then 64, said after Güell's death in 1918. "I have no family, no clients, no fortune, nothing”’(Meisler, Stanley). However, Gaudi saw it as an opportunity saying: “Now I can devote myself …show more content…
In conclusion, although he only reached a mediocre level of fame during his life, and continued to decline towards the end of his life, Antoni Gaudi will always live on as long as the Sagrada Familia stands tall gazing down on Barcelona. Works Cited "Antoni Gaudí." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 Oct. 2016. school.eb.com/levels/ high/article/Antoni-Gaud%C3%AD/36203. Accessed 5 Feb. 2018. Gaudí, Antoni. Image. Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 1 Nov. 2017. school.eb.com/levels/high/assembly/view/84999. Accessed 5 Feb. 2018. Meisler, Stanley. "Gaudí's Gift." ["Smithsonian"]. Smithsonian, vol. 33, no. 4, July 2002, p. 58. EBSCO host, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&AN=68971 40&site= hrc- live. Lior, Noa and Tara Steele. "Buildings Old and New." ["Spain: The Culture"]. Spain: The Culture, Jan. 2002, pp. 22-25. EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=t rue&db= khh&AN=17932917&site=hrc-live. Holy Family, Expiatory Temple of the. Image. Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 1 Nov. 2017. school.eb.com/levels/high/assembly/view/106913. Accessed 5 Feb. 2018. Gaudí, Antoni: Casa Batlló. Image. Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 1 Nov.