The Life of Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) was as intricate and layered as his architectural masterpieces. Early in life, Gaudí aligned himself with the Catalan nationalist movement and held a critical view of the Catholic Church. Yet in a profound personal transformation, he would later dedicate himself entirely to a single, monumental act of devotion: the construction of La Sagrada Família.

As a young man, Gaudí enjoyed the trappings of high society and carried himself with the elegance of a dandy. But by the end of his life, he had retreated from public life and worldly pleasures. When he died in a tragic tram accident in Barcelona, his clothes were so worn and humble that bystanders mistook the brilliant architect for a beggar.

This biography encapsulates the paradoxes of Gaudí’s journey—from radical idealist to spiritual visionary—mirrored in the fantastical forms of his architecture.