Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Starry Sky Window and Ceramic Mosaic Shield Fragment of Torre de Bellesguard by Antoni Gaudí

2065

Late Catalan Modernisme, Gaudí's medieval-inspired phase, 1900–1909

An exterior window assembly from Torre de Bellesguard (Casa Figueras) in Barcelona, designed by Antoni Gaudí and constructed 1900–1909. The window features a multi-lobed organic arch head lined with glazed blue tiles bearing repeated golden star patterns, converging toward a central radiant sunburst emblem in green, blue, and yellow. Below the tiled arch, a leaded stained-glass window admits filtered colored light. Directly beneath the window frame, rough-hewn stepped and crenellated slate blocks frame a diamond-shaped ceramic tile bearing a gothic calligraphic inscription. The deep recession of the window behind projecting courses of rugged slate creates intense physical relief depth, producing a dramatic chiaroscuro under sunlight as the glossy star-patterned tiles and stained glass catch and reflect vibrant light within deep stone shadows.