Quiz+2

=Architecture, a different way to look at it =

Modernism was a massive movement of trends, or vanguard, witch style sets it apart from the other vanguards that precede it. It showed a new way of thinking about modern society, an attempt to redefining the meaning of a work of art and its nature. In Valencia, Spain, this was one of the most important movements, and it affected directly its perception in all Europe. Several details and characteristics used in this city during modernism marked the difference of the movement in Europe and the world. The Provincial Architecture School in Catalonia was created in Barcelona in 1871, by the architect Elies Rogent I Amat, in there were born the first origins of Art Nouveau. However, before its foundation, modernism was present in the work of other architects, such as Antoni Gaudí,Lluís Doménech I Montaner and Josep Puig I Cadafalch. Antoni Gaudí was the greatest figure of the Art Nouveau movement in Catalonia, his concept of architecture, and how this one is reflected not only in the exterior but also in the interior spaces of a building, was manifested in his creations; he put as much effort on the exterior walls as he did in the interiors of the building, where he would work with many prestigious craftsmen.

Lluís Doménech I Montaner defined the architectural Art Nouveau in Catalonia; his buildings reflected a mixture between rationalism and the fabulous ornamentation inspired in the Hispano-Arabic architecture and the curvilinear motifs typical of Art Nouveau, his work is based on evolution towards lightness that is evident in the Palau de la Música Catalana and which is the very opposite to the weighted structures of Antoni Gaudí. Josep Puig I Cadafalch is considered a disciple of Lluís Domènech i Montaner, and the last of the representatives of Art Nouveau. His work can be divided into three different periods: **the rose period (Art Nouveau)**, who's model is the traditional aristocratic Catalan rural house and also follows the inspiration of Germanic models; **the white period** (Rationalist idealism) following the ideals of new burgess elite, pragmatic and strictly ordained; and **the yellow period (Monumental)** characterized by monumental buildings, the yellow color of facades and the imitation of Romanesque architecture. Art Nouveau was a new style based in the use of ornamentation in both facades and interiors, producing big developments in the decorative arts. Not only did it changed the architecture of residential buildings but it extended and affected the religious, educational and industrial buildings as well, affecting the hole city and creating a new modern profile. media type="custom" key="8708524" align="right"