Recently, I was fortunate to be able to take a brief trip to Barcelona for a research project (more on that to come). I spent as much time as I could at Antoni Gaudí’s marvel, La Sagrada Família (more on that, as well).
The entire basilica is a marvel, a deeply spiritual and prophetic building. This Holy Week, I thought it would be appropriate to share some photos of the Façana de la Passió, the Passion Facade. The sculptures broadly follow Gaudí’s instructions, though they are the work of Josep Maria Subirachs. If anything, the sculptures are even more harsh and austere than Gaudí’s original sketches. The hardness of the work is actually in keeping with Gaudí’s instructions.
The architect realized that other artists would fill in his plans with their own visions and was OK with that. Every great cathedral or basilica is the work of multiple hands, and Gaudí believed that the contributions of other artists were part of what made his great temple a living work.
Speaking specifically about the Passion Facade, Gaudí said in 1902, “Some may find this doorway too extravagant. But I wanted it to inspire fear, and to do so I used plenty of chiaroscuro, recesses and protrusions, all of which provided a gloomy effect.”
The images provide a sober meditation on our Lord’s suffering this Holy Week.
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Tony Lusvardi, S.J. 