Antoni Gaudí /

With 350 excellent color illustrations, many of works not commonly seen, Modernismo is a large volume of essays by leading Catalan academic experts on the indigenous efflorescence of the arts that took place in Barcelona and Catalonia in the decades before and after 1900. Gaudi is of course well known, but the many contemporary architects, artists, and craftsmen who made up the incredibly rich fabric of artistic life in Catalonia may not be as familiar (a few were new to this reviewer). Although there is some overlap among the essays, they do provide a thoughtful mosaic, and the translations are usually accessible. Modernismo is the English-language version of Modernisme i modernistes (Barcelona, Lunewerg, 2001), which in fact was issued with a supplemental English translation of the texts. It covers much of what was first presented in English in Homage to Barcelona (London, Hayward Gallery, 1985) but with better and more current illustrations and a somewhat broader geographical reach beyond Barcelona and its immediate environs. Antoni Gaudi, by the late Sola-Morales (1934-2001), is an unchanged reissue of his 1984 book, Gaudi (Rizzoli), but with much-improved recent photography by Vargas (128 color photos) and an updated brief bibliography. It is still one of the most thoughtful overviews of the Catalan architect and is an optional purchase for libraries holding the earlier edition or for those with Rainer Zerbst's Gaudi (Taschen). Modernismo, on the other hand, is highly recommended for general collections and all art/architecture collections.-Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Libs. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.