The Güell Pavilions of Antoni Gaudí as an example of new mythology

Abstract

The Güell Pavilions are known for being the first work that Antoni Gaudí built for the person that would become his main patron, Eusebi Güell. For years, these buildings have been considered to have some functional roles, and to contain some sporadic references to the L’Atlàntida, a poem written by Jacint Verdaguer. In this paper, however, I will argue that this work of Gaudí is more than this, since L’Atlàntida was already a good example of the idea of a new mythology, and Gaudí intertwined these literary references with “aesthetic geometry”, which had been reconstructed by the German artist Peter Lenz. I will show where and how this geometry is present in the Güell Pavilions. As a result, these buildings will reveal as an organic work, and a good example of the idea of a new mythology applied to plastic arts.