Antoni Gaudí - A Lonely Genius

Park Güell, Barcelona                                                                                                                   photo by Ewa Krajewska

We can admire the extremely original and magical buildings of this outstanding Catalan architect in Barcelona. His work has become a symbol of the city and attracts millions of tourists from all over the world.

Antoni Gaudí was born in 1852 in the small village of Reus in Catalonia. When he was a child, he got ill very often, which limited his contacts with his peers and friends and condemned him to loneliness. He suffered from rheumatism so his doctor advised him to become a vegetarian. He continued this diet for the rest of his life and he even became obsessed with healthy food and very strict diets. In the early years of his life, he experienced very difficult transits which must have weaken his health condition. Saturn passed through his MC (1853 – 1854), squared his Moon (1856 – 1857) and passed through his Ascendant (1860 – 1861). Saturn is the planet related to bones and its transits may cause limitation of movement. In the childhood Antoni spent a lot of time at home with his mother. He was keen on walking and watching the nature, which became a source of important inspiration in the adult life. After completing the architecture studies, the young Gaudí quickly received his first order - the design of the street lanterns at Reial Square in the Gothic Quarter in the heart of Barcelona. The lanterns didn’t look very original, nevertheless, the talent of the young architect was recognised and soon Gaudí received further orders and revealed his unusual style. He designed not only buildings, but also furniture and interior fittings. At the beginning of his career (in November 1879) his progressed Sun entered Leo, which helped him gain recognition and opened new possibilities to grow. The architectural style that was trendy at time was Modernism, considered a new expression of Catalan identity. Having the Sun in Cancer, Antoni Gaudí was very proud of his homeland and wanted to contribute to expand its national pride. Gaudí was lucky to be born in the times that enabled him to develop his artistic talent. His original projects quickly gained recognition and became an integral part of Catalan heritage. Gaudí pushed Modernism even further, but in his work we can also find other architectural styles such as neo-Mudejar, neo-Gothic and Baroque. His innovative approach to architecture caught the attention of Eusebi Güell, a wealthy businessman from Barcelona, who commissioned a number of important projects. He truly admired Gaudí’s talent and never saved money on financing his extremely expensive projects as he didn’t want to limit the imagination of a young genius. Gaudí designed for him the Güell Palace (his house), a church for his employees and a park among others. The original idea of Güell was to build an exclusive neighborhood for wealthy townspeople of Barcelona placed in a beautiful hill with a fantastic view, but they preferred to stay in the center of the town, so the whole project turned out to be a failure. The heirs of Eusebi Güell have transformed this place into a city park called Park Güell, where we can admire Gaudí's projects, among others the main terrace with a very original bench in the shape of a serpentine which is finished with colourful mosaics made of broken pottery. We can get to this unique terrace using wide and richly decorated stairs where we find the multicoloured monument of a salamander. Another interesting object in this park is the house of a guard which is a very unique as it looks like magical mushroom from a fairy-tale. 

Casa Batlló                                 photo by Ewa Krajewska

Casa Milá                                   photo by Ewa Krajewska

Antoni Gaudí also designed houses for other rich families. The most beautiful and original buildings that fully represent the outstanding talent of the Catalan architect are Casa Batlló (built in 1904) and Casa Milá (1906), both converted into the museums. It’s worth mentioning that he designed these amazing houses when he had very important transits of Uranus and Neptune. Uranus squared his natal Venus (1903 – 1904) and opposed the Sun (1905). Neptune conjuncted his Sun (1903 – 1904) and squared his Moon (1906 – 1907). Another interesting thing is that Jupiter passed through Gaudí’s Medium Coeli in 1905 and 1906, so no wonder that the projects he implemented at that time gave him such fame. Unfortunately, in 1906 Saturn went through Gaudí’s Descendant which caused a lot of problems with the owner of Casa Milá who didn’t want to pay Gaudí for his work. The architect got also into trouble with the local council that didn’t approve his project as the building was too high. Casa Milá was criticized very much by the inhabitants of Barcelona. People laughed at that building and compared it with the hornets’ nest.  

Sagrada Familia                                                                                                                            photo by Ewa Krajewska

Nevertheless, Gaudí's most important project was the church of Sagrada Familia. Gaudí started working on it when we was only 31 years old and dedicated the rest of his life to this magnificent building. The church hasn’t been completed and is still under construction. Gaudí took the construction of Sagrada Familia over in November 1883 when Pluto was transiting his Medium Coeli and Jupiter conjuncted Venus. The transits of Pluto can destroy someone’s life or bring a huge transformation by gaining great recognition. Pluto is related to death so no wonder that Sagrada Familia gave the international fame to Gaudí many years after he died.

In his works Antoni Gaudí combined simplicity and functionality with an extremely original design. He avoided sharp angles and tried to give his buildings, furniture pieces and interior fittings rounded shapes. His greatest source of inspiration was the nature. Gaudí observed what kind of structures the nature was building, e.g. trees, leaves, flowers, and he applied the same solutions to his projects. We can see it in the neo-Gothic Sagrada Familia, where the columns resemble tree trunks, so the interior of that temple looks like a magical forest. The Catalan architect often used broken ceramics and created colourful, original mosaics (trencadi) to give his projects an original look. Another characteristic elements of his style are decorative chimneys on the roofs of the houses he designed. Gaudí made them real artworks, stained with colourful ceramics and giving unusual shapes reminding mushrooms. The façades of some of his buildings also have unusual, streamlined shapes and the balconies sometimes resemble interlocking branches of trees (e.g. Casa Milá) or carnival masks (Casa Batlló). The church of Sagrada Familia is a completely different project, as it is an example of neo-Gothic style, nevertheless the strong influence of Gaudí's unique style is obvious. The artist often used light as an element of architecture, especially in Sagrada Familia, where the colourful light pouring in through the great stained glass windows illuminates the grey columns and leaves delicate pastel shades on them. This creates an amazing, magical effect, and you get the impression that are walking through a fairy-tale land. You can get the same impression visiting the houses designed by Gaudí or the Park Güell. Gaudí's projects bring the visitors into a wonderland, where all the elements blend together and form a harmonious space.

                                               

Sagrada Familia                                                                                                                            photo by Ewa Krajewska

Antoni Gaudí in 1878           Wikipedia

The personal life of that brilliant architect is shrouded in mystery. It is known that Gaudí lived with his father and niece in a small house in Park Güell. No woman ever appeared in his life, so the artist did not marry and it is speculated that he had never had any sexual contact. However, there are some indications that he had a secret romance with his niece, but there is no evidence of it. Gaudí was a man of deep faith and was very attached to the tradition of his homeland, Catalonia. Although he was very intelligent and spoke a couple of languages, he refused using them. He only spoke Catalan in order to emphasize his origin. In 1924, after the military coup of Primo de Rivera, he was even arrested and put into prison for speaking Catalan which was strictly forbidden at that time. Faith played a very important part in his life. Great devotion helped him to make friends with his future patron, Eusebi Güell, who was also a deeply religious man. Antoni Gaudí was regarded as a cold and arrogant man who intimidated his interlocutors with a deep, sharp, penetrating and cynical glance of his blue eyes. In his youth he dressed fashionably and elegantly, liked going out to the theater and socializing. When grew older, he became a loner, absorbed by his work and obsessively obeying religious orders. He went to church every day, and on the way he gave alms to beggars, even though he was never a wealthy man himself. He lived very modestly, of which he was extremely proud. At the end of his life he looked like a homeless vagabond, which brought tragic consequences. On June 7, 1926, he was hit by a tram and taken to a hospital for poor people. Nobody recognised the great master and no one was willing to help him. It was not until the second day when one of his co-workers recognised him, but unfortunately it was too late for help. The great architect died a few days later. He was buried in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia. Huge crowds of Barcelona inhabitants attended his funeral. At that time transiting Uranus squared his natal Mercury which describes this situation perfectly. Such transits may bring sudden accidents especially related to communication, travelling and means of transport.

Antoni Gaudí 25.06.1852, 09:30 am, Reus, Spain    raiting AA

The great master's natal chart is as intriguing as his work. Antoni Gaudí had the Sun in Cancer, which explains his great attachment to tradition, family and his homeland. Additionally, the Sun creates the grand trine in water signs along with Jupiter in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces. It shows great artistic talent, the source of inspiration, but also huge interest in religion, as both Jupiter and Neptune are linked to spirituality and beliefs. The natal chart of Gaudí is very interesting as we find two kites there. One kite is based on the grand water trine, the sextile stellium of Pluto, Uranus and Saturn in Taurus to the Sun in Cancer and Neptune in Pisces, and the opposition of the stellium in Taurus to Jupiter in Scorpio. The second kite is also based on the grand water trine, but in this case "the head" of the kite is Mars in Virgo, which sextiles the Sun in Cancer and Jupiter in Scorpio, and is opposing Neptune in Pisces. This gave Gaudí a lot of common sense and realism, so that the artist could easily turn his extraordinary ideas into specific projects. Kite is a planetary figure that brings a lot of luck and extremely easily gained success in life. Nevertheless, the potential of the native with kite is triggered by the support of other people (opposition). Gaudí had a wealthy patron, so that he could realise his visions without any restrictions.

Eusebi Güell 15.12.1846, Barcelona, Spain      rating X (time unknown)

Let’s take a look at the natal chart of Gaudí’s patron, Eusebi Güell. He has a very tight Venus/Sun conjunction (could be a cazimi, but as his birth time is unknown, we don’t know it for sure) in Sagittarius so he was an artist himself (painter). He was very wealthy and he came from a very rich family, but he was also a very successful businessman. He was the owner of textile factories near Barcelona. Mercury also conjuncts the Sun and Venus, so he has a stellium in Sagittarius. The strong influence of that sign made him a very generous man. He was supporting talented artists and help them develop their ideas. When he saw the works of young Gaudí, he was amazed by his talent. The individuals with strong Sagittarius always want to expand their horizons and create something epic, extraordinary and out of this world. The projects of Gaudí were perfect for Güell’s ambitions and desires of creating original buildings. Güell and Gaudí were perfect for each other. The young architect had a huge talent and amazing visions and Güell had the proper financial resources to make them come true. Güell was also very religious (strong Sagittarius) and was a Catalan patriot so he and Gaudí became good friends. If we compare their birth charts we can see that Gaudí’s Mercury is opposing Güell’s Sun and Venus, Gaudí’s Moon forms a trine to Güell’s Jupiter and Gaudí’s Jupiter in Scorpio conjuncts Güell’s Mars and probably Moon as well. It clearly shows that they liked each other and shared similar interests. It’s worth mentioning that Gaudí had Jupiter in Scorpio which helped him gain rich sponsors. He was never wealthy but he had rich clients and thanks to their money he could make his artistic visions come true.

Sagrada Familia 19.03.1882, Barcelona, Spain     rating X (time unknown)

As he was very lucky in the professional field, it’s not surprising, that he was chosen to direct the works on Sagrada Familia at the young age. According to the legend, he was chosen because of his blue eyes which were very unique in Catalonia. The idea of building Sagrada Familia came from an eccentric bookseller José María Bocabella who founded the Spiritual Association of Devotees of St. Joseph and bought the parcel for building a church. The works on the apse crypt of Sagrada Familia began on  March 19, 1882 on the festival of Saint Joseph. The church was designed by Francisco de Paula del Villar, a famous and respected architect. One year later he resigned, so José María Bocabella had to find another architect who would continue building Sagrada Familia. He had a dream that a blue-eyed architect was building this church, so when he saw Gaudí, he immediately knew that he was the right person. We don’t know if this story is true, but it seems that a strong influence of Neptune in Gaudí’s chart had a key role in it. Working on Sagrada Familia Gaudí could develop his extraordinary ideas, creating an architectural masterpiece. When we look at the chart of Sagrada Familia, we can see that the construction started on new Moon in Pisces which is quite interesting as it’s a church, a place of prayers. Unfortunately, the exact time of starting the construction is unknown, so we don’t know if the Moon was still in Pisces or in Aries. Nevertheless, the projects that are started at new Moon need more time to be fully developed as the Moon is combusted by the Sun. Another interesting thing about this chart is that Venus and Mercury are in detriment and Mars is in fall. The fact the personal planets are in a difficult position also shows that the construction of the church may take a long time. Sagrada Familia was built thanks to the donations of the inhabitants of Barcelona. Gaudí often struggled with the lack of resources and was so frustrated that he was asking for the donations himself. In this chart we can see two important conjunctions: Saturn with Neptune and Jupiter with Pluto. The Saturn/Neptune conjunction shows limitation in realising dreams and artistic projects, but on the other hand, indicates a huge determination to do this. Although the construction of Sagrada Familia is a very slow process, the effect is amazing. The hard and very detailed work of Antoni Gaudí and other architects that continue his work is majestic and breathtaking. The Jupiter/Pluto conjunction made this church so high and huge. Both planets are responsible for expansion and pushing the limits further. The Sun (and probably the Moon) forms a sextile to Jupiter and Pluto so the link between these planet is quite strong and harmonious.

Gaudí has Mars on Ascendant in Virgo which is why he wasn’t a nice person. The artist was also a perfectionist, which is very typical for the individuals with Virgo rising. Although Gaudí worked with many craftsmen, sculptors, and other architects (especially on Sagrada Familia), he supervised their work and checked if everything was done according to his will. Mars placed at Ascendant made him an overbearing man, who didn’t respect anyone. Such a strong Mars certainly didn’t give Gaudí personal charm. In the eyes of other people he was unfriendly, however, his relatives and friends, including Eusebi Güell, had a very positive opinion of Gaudí, describing him as a nice, warm and kind man, an interesting interlocutor and a great companion.

What is the reason of such a big discrepancy in the opinion about the same person? Gaudí has the Moon in Libra. The Moon describes the way we behave in personal life and how we treat the members of our family. The Moon in Libra shows that Gaudí must have been nice, charming and kind to his relatives. However, people who didn’t know him closely must have been faced with his Mars on Ascendant which wasn’t a pleasant experience. Ascendant is the point in the natal chart that describes what is the first impression that others have about us. Mars placed here clearly shows that such individual will be considered aggressive, selfish and arrogant. If it comes to the image, Virgo rising made Gaudí look very modest.

On the other hand Mars in Virgo on Ascendant gave Gaudí talent for space planning, which is essential in the work of an architect. He created models of his buildings and then he was developing his projects according to his plans. Without these skills Gaudí wouldn’t be able to create such wonderful works. He was also very consequent and patient which was particularly important during the many years of working on Sagrada Familia. Gaudí dedicated more than 40 years of his life to build this magnificent church and unfortunately he didn’t see the end result. Interestingly, Antoni Gaudí didn’t make any preliminary drawing of the buildings, but made three-dimensional models. In addition to that, Mars in Virgo enabled the Catalan architect to design functional homes. Gaudí paid great attention to the needs of his clients and their lifestyles. He was using maximum of the natural light to make the rooms look spacious and bright.

Casa Batlló                      photo by Ewa Krajewska

Casa Batlló                       photo by Ewa Krajewska

What was the source of Gaudí’s inspiration, imagination and such unusual ideas? Venus, the planet of artistic expression and inspiration is placed in Leo, a sign which is associated with huge creativity, original ideas and the need of getting the public recognition for the outstanding works. In addition, Venus creates very important aspects: square with Jupiter and square with Saturn, Pluto and Uranus, which together form a T-square. This planetary figure brought a strong emotional tension, but on the other hand awakened enormous creativity. The square of Venus and Jupiter highlights Gaudí’s great talent and makes him design huge and extraordinary works, e.g. the monumental Sagrada Familia with its richly decorated façade and tall towers. The Venus/Saturn square brings other features like modesty, saving and simplicity, which can also be observed in the works of the Catalan architect, especially in the interiors of the houses he created. The aspect was also manifested by the difficulty of maintaining financial security. Unfortunately Gaudí didn’t make a fortune on his great talent. The modest clothing can also be partially attributed to this aspect. This could also explain the frequent use of broken ceramics. The individuals with aspects of Venus and Saturn in their birth charts don’t waste anything and often find new uses for things that should be thrown away. Gaudí used ceramic waste and converted it into art work. On the other hand, this aspect could bring Gaudí loneliness, misogyny, and strong self-criticism. When we look at the photo of Antoni Gaudí, we see quite a handsome man, but in his times, his type of beauty wasn’t considered attractive at all. He was blond and had blue eyes, meanwhile most of the Catalans were dark haired and black eyed, so Gaudí looked like a stranger and felt rejected by the society, especially by women. He was probably in love once but the woman he was attracted to rejected him as she was already engaged to someone else. The fact that he was rejected could cause a hatred towards women in general. The square of Venus with Uranus and Pluto gave him a very original and innovative approach to art. These aspects gave Gaudí such amazing and extraordinary but controversial ideas. On one hand, his works are fascinating, and on the other, they cause confusion. While visiting the houses he built, the church of Sagrada Familia or the Güell Park we are amazed by the original ideas of that Catalan architect, but we are also wondering whether he crossed certain limits of good taste and simply exaggerated the norms. Such controversies are very common in case of the aspects of Venus with Uranus and Venus with Pluto. They allow creating something unusual, which breaks old patterns and is shocking thanks to its originality. Additionally, Mars in Gaudí's natal chart is opposing Neptune, which gave the architect huge imagination and the ability to create spaces that looked like a fairy-tale land. Gaudí achieved this effect by avoiding sharp angles and making everything look like fluid which is typical for Neptune.

I strongly recommend visiting his epic works while visiting Barcelona.