''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 architect
Lauritz de Thurah
Laurids Lauridsen de Thurah, known as Lauritz de Thurah (4 March 1706 – 5 September 1759), was a Danish architect and architectural writer. He became the most important Danish architect of the late baroque period. As an architectural writer ...
. It was commissioned by
Christian V in 1735 and published in two volumes between 1746 and 1749. The title refers to the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
architect and engineer
Vitruvius
Vitruvius (; c. 80–70 BC – after c. 15 BC) was a Roman architect and engineer during the 1st century BC, known for his multi-volume work entitled '' De architectura''. He originated the idea that all buildings should have three attribut ...
, who published ''
De architectura'' 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facsimile edition published in 1966–67 includes a third volume, based on an until then unpublished manuscript kept at the
Royal Danish Library
The Royal Library ( da, Det Kongelige Bibliotek) in Copenhagen is the national library of Denmark and the university library of the University of Copenhagen. It is among the largest libraries in the world and the largest in the Nordic countries ...
. 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 vein but basically a cateloque of designs. Descriptions are short and text appears in Danish, French, and German in parallel columns.
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 ( lit. "The King's New Square") is a public square in Copenhagen, Denmark, centrally located at the end of the pedestrian street Strøget. The largest square of the city, it was laid out by Christian V in 1670 in connection wit ...
. 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
Johan Cornelius Krieger (1683–1755) was a Danish architect and landscape architect, who from the 1720s served as both the country's chief architect, and head of the royal gardens.
Krieger oversaw the construction of Fredensborg Palace and its ...
, the leading landscape architect of
Frederik IV, who brought the
Baroque garden to life in Denmark. De Thurah's work shows
Fredensborg
Fredensborg () is a railway town located in Fredensborg Municipality, North Zealand, some 30 kilometres north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is most known for Fredensborg Palace, one of the official residences of the Danish Royal Family. As of 1 Janu ...
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 ( da, Rosenborg Slot) is a renaissance castle located 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 D ...
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: The Castle Islet) is an island in the harbour of Copenhagen, Denmark, and part of Copenhagen Inner City. The name is taken from the successive castles and palaces located on the island since Bishop Absalon constructed the c ...
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 ( da, Rosenborg Slot) is a renaissance castle located 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 D ...
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'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 Strøget ...
See also
*
Architecture of Denmark
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...
*
Bibliography of Danish architecture
References
{{Authority control
1746 books
1749 books
Architecture books
Danish non-fiction books
Baroque architecture in Denmark