Genre: Poetry, Art, History
Hensbergen walks us through the life of the ingenious and infamous Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudi in an in-depth and thorough analysis of his work and his personal relationships and influences.
From his early career and being an apprentice architect, learning from his mentors and lecturers, he threw himself into creativity and sculpting and creating a new vision for Spanish architecture.
The writer of this biographical analysis provides the readers with an in-depth insight into the impact and influence of relationships Gaudi had on him as a person, as well as his works - from his family, through to his friends and patrons.
It is clearly evident from this book, and from the historical accounts compiled to draw upon these conclusions, that Gaudi was a passionate man, and that he needed to have an element of control over his works, and their construction.
What is clear to see is Gaudi's need and desire to push boundaries and structured form, in order to breathe life to his creations - this is what makes Antoni Gaudi a genius and a visionary in the architectural world.
I was lucky enough to take a trip to Barcelona in late Spring/early Summer this year, during this trip I was able to see many of Gaudi's masterpieces in real-life. Reading a book is great and you can build up a picture in your head of what each piece will look like, but coming up from the Metro and seeing the Sagrada Familia graciously appear in front of me, quite literally took my breath away!
I gave Hensbergen four stars due to the complexity with the end-notes used, instead of footnotes, which for me personally I found quite cumbersome having to flip to the back of the book to get the insights and anecdotes behind some of his observations.
However, content wise, I could not fault this book, it provided everything I was looking for in giving a deep insight into the man behind the masterpieces. I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to understand Gaudi more.
Hensbergen walks us through the life of the ingenious and infamous Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudi in an in-depth and thorough analysis of his work and his personal relationships and influences.
From his early career and being an apprentice architect, learning from his mentors and lecturers, he threw himself into creativity and sculpting and creating a new vision for Spanish architecture.
The writer of this biographical analysis provides the readers with an in-depth insight into the impact and influence of relationships Gaudi had on him as a person, as well as his works - from his family, through to his friends and patrons.
It is clearly evident from this book, and from the historical accounts compiled to draw upon these conclusions, that Gaudi was a passionate man, and that he needed to have an element of control over his works, and their construction.
What is clear to see is Gaudi's need and desire to push boundaries and structured form, in order to breathe life to his creations - this is what makes Antoni Gaudi a genius and a visionary in the architectural world.
I was lucky enough to take a trip to Barcelona in late Spring/early Summer this year, during this trip I was able to see many of Gaudi's masterpieces in real-life. Reading a book is great and you can build up a picture in your head of what each piece will look like, but coming up from the Metro and seeing the Sagrada Familia graciously appear in front of me, quite literally took my breath away!
I gave Hensbergen four stars due to the complexity with the end-notes used, instead of footnotes, which for me personally I found quite cumbersome having to flip to the back of the book to get the insights and anecdotes behind some of his observations.
However, content wise, I could not fault this book, it provided everything I was looking for in giving a deep insight into the man behind the masterpieces. I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to understand Gaudi more.
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