Den Danske Vitruvius
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''Den Danske Vitruvius'' (English: ''The Danish Vitruvius'') is a richly illustrated 18th-century architectural work on Danish monumental buildings of the period, written by the Danish
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
architect Lauritz de Thurah. It was commissioned by Christian VI in 1735 and published in two volumes between 1746 and 1749. The title refers to the Roman architect and engineer
Vitruvius Vitruvius ( ; ; –70 BC – after ) was a Roman architect and engineer during the 1st century BC, known for his multi-volume work titled . As the only treatise on architecture to survive from antiquity, it has been regarded since the Renaissan ...
, who published ''
De architectura (''On architecture'', published as ''Ten Books on Architecture'') is a treatise on architecture written by the Ancient Rome, Roman architect and military engineer Vitruvius, Marcus Vitruvius Pollio and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesa ...
'' in the 1st century AD, an authoritative treatise on the architecture of the time. The direct inspiration for de Thurah's ''Den Danske Vitruvius'' was Colen Campbell's ''Vitruvius Britannicus''. With its numerous illustrations, ''Den Danske Vitruvius'' is a valuable source of information on the many Danish buildings of the mid-18th century, which have since been demolished, rebuilt or lost in fires. A
facsimile A facsimile (from Latin ''fac simile'', "to make alike") is a copy or reproduction of an old book, manuscript, map, art print, or other item of historical value that is as true to the original source as possible. It differs from other forms of r ...
edition published in 1966–67 includes a third volume, based on an until then unpublished manuscript kept at the
Royal Danish Library Royal Danish Library () is a merger of the two previous national libraries in Denmark: the State and University Library in Aarhus and the Royal Library in Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, wit ...
. It covers buildings completed later than 1749.


History

Lauritz de Thurah had a military education and was a self-taught architect who learned much of what he knew by studying the inspiring buildings he saw on his travels outside Denmark between 1729 and 1731. His architectural writings can be seen as a natural continuation of this interest. In 1735, de Thurah received a royal grant to collect information and to write a comprehensive work on architecture in Denmark, detailing all the royal buildings in the country. It appeared between 1746 and 1749, published at the King's expense, and printed by the best Danish printer at that time,
Ernst Henrich Berling Ernst Henrich Berling (22 March 1708 – 16 October 1750) was a German-Danish book printer and publisher. From 1749 he published ''Danske Post Tidender,'' which would later become ''Berlingske Tidende.'' Biography Berling was born in Mecklenburg ...
.


Contents

''Den Danske Vitruvius'' provides a richly illustrated documentation of monumental Danish buildings of the period. Like Campbell's work, it is not a treatise in the
empirical Empirical evidence is evidence obtained through sense experience or experimental procedure. It is of central importance to the sciences and plays a role in various other fields, like epistemology and law. There is no general agreement on how t ...
vein but basically a cateloque of designs. Descriptions are short and text appears in Danish, French, and German in parallel columns. The first volume, with 121 plates, covers the most important buildings in Copenhagen within all categories, down to two burgouis houses at
Kongens Nytorv Kongens Nytorv (literal translation, lit. "The King's New Square") is a town square, public square in Copenhagen, Denmark, centrally located at the end of the Pedestrian zone, pedestrian street Strøget. The largest square of the city, it was l ...
. The second volume has 161 plates and covers all royal palaces and other buildings of note in the rest of Denmark. Buildings are shown in plan, section and elevation as well as many bird's-eye perspective. All prospects are drawn by Johan Jacob Bruun. Many of the plates were executed by Michael Keyl and C.L. Wüst, two German engravers who were commissioned by Thurah especially for the project.


Significance

''Den Danske Vitruvius'' is a valuable source of knowledge about the design of many buildings and landscaped gardens in mid-18th century Denmark, many of which no longer exist. Some, like Copenhagen's city gates, have been demolished, while others, such as the first Christiansborg, were destroyed by fire. Still others have simply been redesigned or otherwise altered to satisfy contemporary tastes and functions. The book is also an important source of information on the landscape architecture of the time. It offers valuable, contemporary illustrated records of works by Johan Cornelius Krieger, the leading landscape architect of Frederik IV, who brought the Baroque garden to life in Denmark. De Thurah's work shows Fredensborg prior to the extensive modifications instituted by
Nicolas-Henri Jardin Nicolas-Henri Jardin (22 March 1720 – 31 August 1799) was a French architect. Born in St. Germain des Noyers, Seine-et-Marne, Jardin worked seventeen years in Denmark–Norway as an architect to the Danish royal court. He introduced neoclassic ...
in the 1760s under the direction of Frederik V, who made Fredensborg the favoured royal summer residence.


Gallery

Image:Den danske Vitruvius 1 tab022 - Prospect af det Kongl Slott Christiansborg imod Hoved Indgangen.jpg, Prospect of Christiansborg Palace as seen towards the main entrance Image:Den danske Vitruvius 1 tab024 - General Grundtegning af Rosenborg Slott og Have.jpg, General plan of
Rosenborg Castle Rosenborg Castle () is a renaissance castle in Copenhagen, Denmark. The castle was originally built as a country summerhouse in 1606 and is an example of Christian IV's many architectural projects. It was built in the Dutch Renaissance style, t ...
and castle gardens Image:Helligaandskirken Copenhagen pulpit old.jpg, Drawing of Ehbisch's pulpit in the Church of the Holy Ghost Image:Den danske Vitruvius 1 tab005 - Grundtegning og Opstalt af Nörreport.jpg, Plan and elevation of Nørreport, town gate of Copenhagen Image:Den danske Vitruvius 1 tab003 - Kiöbenhavns Wartegn.jpg, English:Statue depicting Leda and the Swan, a symbol of Copenhagen, which was located between
Slotsholmen Slotsholmen (English language, English: The Castle Islet) is an island in the harbour of Copenhagen, Denmark, and part of Copenhagen Indre By, Inner City. The name is taken from the successive castles and palaces located on the island since Absal ...
in central Copenhagen and Christianshavn from 1611 to 1798 Image:Den danske Vitruvius 1 tab029 - Prospect af Rosenborg Slott og Have.jpg, Prospect of
Rosenborg Castle Rosenborg Castle () is a renaissance castle in Copenhagen, Denmark. The castle was originally built as a country summerhouse in 1606 and is an example of Christian IV's many architectural projects. It was built in the Dutch Renaissance style, t ...
and castle gardens Image:Den danske Vitruvius 1 tab020 - Giennem Snitt eller Profil af det Kongl Christiansborger Slotts Capelle.jpg, Cross section or profile of the Palace Chapel at Christiansborg Palace, showing the altar, pulpit and organ Image:Den danske Vitruvius 1 tab031 - Grundtegning af dend første Etage af det Kongl Palais.jpg, Plan of the first floor of the royal palace, Prinsens Palais, the current
National Museum of Denmark The National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet) in Copenhagen is Denmark, Denmark's largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main building is located a short distance from S ...


See also

*
Architecture of Denmark The architecture of Denmark has its origins in the Viking Age, revealed by archaeological finds. It was established in the Middle Ages when first Romanesque architecture, Romanesque, then Gothic architecture, Gothic churches and cathedrals, wer ...
* Bibliography of Danish architecture


References

{{Authority control 1746 non-fiction books 1749 non-fiction books Architecture books Danish non-fiction books Baroque architecture in Denmark Christian VI of Denmark Illustrated books Books by Lauritz de Thurah Books about Denmark