Hafnia Hodierna, Eller udforlig Beskrivelse om den Kongelige Residents

Book Description

1746. COPENHAGEN ARCHITECTURE THURAH, Laurids Lauridsen de. Hafnia Hodierna, Eller udførlig Beskrivelse om den Kongelige Residentz- og Hoved-Stad Kiøbenhavn, med en Forklaring om alle de Merkværdigheder, som denne store Stad nu omstunder indbefatter. -- Description circonstantieé de la Residence roiale et capitale de Copenhague, avec une explication de toutes les choses dignes de remarque, que renferme de nos jours cette grande ville. -- Ausführliche Beschreibung der Königlichen Residenz- und Hauptstadt Copenhagen, nebst einer Erklärung aller Merkwürdigkeiten, so diese grosse Stadt zu unsern Zeiten enthält. [14], 368 pp. Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece, 110 engraved plates, plus 12 engraved vignettes in the text. 4to., 277 x 222 mm, bound in contemporary Danish mottled calf, blue edges. Copenhagen: Ernst Henrich Berling, 1748. First Edition of the finest eighteenth-century description of Copenhagen, written by the most important architect in Denmark at that time, and profusely illustrated throughout. This authoritative work provides important contemporary descriptions, engraved views, and architectural plans of all the principal buildings in Copenhagen, including the three Royal Palaces, other government and public buildings, the townhouses of the aristocracy, and the city's numerous churches. That the text appears in Danish, French, and German in parallel columns made it readily accessible to non-Danish readers; that the work was very carefully designed and printed, with attractive architectural head- and tailpieces, gave it further appeal. The work compliments, without much overlap, the author's Danske Vitruvius which focused primarily on surrounding areas (such as Fredensborg). Thurah (1706-1759) was the foremost architect in Denmark during the reign of Christian VI (1730-1746); he had a military education and studied in Germany and Italy, where he witnessed large scale Baroque architectural works, and quickly understood the decorative possibilites offered by the Rococo style. Binding a little scuffed, two plates supplied from a smaller copy (namely plates 39 and 44), otherwise in very good, fresh condition. Berlin Katalog 2260. Not in Millard Collection.

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