Casa Battlo: Gaudi

This book published by Triangle/Postals covering one of Antoni Gaudi's modernista houses is part of a series of handsome 6 1/4 x 6 1/4 inch volumes on key architectural landmarks of Barcelona. Unlike the volume on "La Pedrera," equally memorable for its photography by Pere Vivas, it opens with a though-provoking 66-page essay by Juan Jose Lahuerta. Lahuerta gives useful information about Gaudi and his primary rivals Puig i Cadafalch and Domenech i Montaner and the economic and political factors influencing cultural life of Barcelona at the beginning of the 20th century. His reflections on the modernista designers through the lens of literary statements made by Baudelaire, Huysmann and others is compelling. The tensions that existed between the archtect and his clients (the people who actually had to live inside the artist's creations) is touched upon, as are conjectures about Gaudi's views on eternity and death. This may be more information than the average tourist may want to know when they visit Casa Battlo, but it's fascinating stuff nonetheless. The photographs are consistently beautiful and provide a nice mix of "full views" and detail shots.