BOSBOOM, S., Architectura, vervattende in zig ’t kort en bondig onderwys van de 5 colommen, door Simon Bosboom, als meede alle soorten van kappen, soo van kerken, toorens en huyzen, eenige wentel-trappen en bruggen, gronden en opstallen van ’t huys van de heer Reaal,

Beschrijving

Amsterdam, Reinier en Josua Ottens, [probably between 1725 and 1750], the book is a collection of some textpages, but mostly plates, and seems to be made up of different sections, mostly with continuous page numbers (whether it concerns text or plate pages), but some sections have their own titlepage and start with new pagenumbers. An overview of all the sections present in this copy, compared to the description of the copy in the Swiss library Stiftung Bibliothek Werner Oechslin:

Part 1 (the 5 different typs of pillars): titlepage (Architectura) + engraved titlepage (Kort onderwys van de vyf colommen) + 53 pp (mostly plates, some textpages: 1-6, 10-11, 17 and 30, plate 51 and 52 have been switched);

Part 2 (the math of shapes): [12] pp. with plates A-F (plates E and F have been switched);

Part 3 (rooftop constructions): titlepage (Architectura chivillis) + 9-48 plates (the 8 textpages preceding the plates in this section are missing);

Part 4 (groundplans): 8 unnumbered folded plates (H.B. Kramer inventur, B. Stopendaal fecit);

Part 5 (mantle pieces): 1-22 plates with a title on plate 1 (Verschyde schoorsteen mantels)

Part 6 (intricate designs): 6 unnumbered plates;

Part 7 (doors and frames): 6 numbered plates (I. le Pautre inventor, C. Danckers fecit);

Extra (doors and frames with size indication): 25 numbered plates;

Part 8 (gates): 6 numbered plates (first plate without number, R. & J. Ottens exc. cum privil., Portre invent.).

Half vellum binding, marbled boards (marbling faded) edges and corners rubbed, 4o. Apart from the worn edges, the construction is in excellent condition and the printwork beautiful and clear, with only minor stains. There are some architectural drawings in pencil on the endpapers and in some margins.

Written by Simon Bosboom (1614-1668) based on an earlier work by Vincenzo Scamozzi (1548-1616) with cooperation of Justus Danckertsz (1635-1701). Simon Bosboom was a Dutch Golden Age architect and writer. He was active as an architect in England and Germany, before working on an almshouse for the city council of Nijmegen in 1640. His son Dirk, who later became an engraver, was born in Nijmegen in 1641. Bosboom moved to Amsterdam when he was hired as a master mason to assist Jacob van Campen for his work as city architect of Amsterdam. He helped him with the City Hall of Amsterdam, his largest city project. In 1653 he was promoted to city mason after the dismissal of Willem de Keyser, and in 1657, the year of Van Campen's death, Bosboom was promoted to city architect. Just as Hubertus Quellinus had done for the city hall in 1665, Bosboom published a small instructional booklet on architecture with engravings after Vincenzo Scamozzi entitled ‘Cort onderwys van de Vyf Colommen’, or ‘Short instruction on the five columns’ (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Tuscan, Composite). His book earned him an honorary place in Cornelis de Bie's book of artists. He wrote that he helped Jacob van Campen and Artus Quellinus with decorations for the City Hall of Amsterdam, built in 1649-1653. His book became a popular handbook for architects that was reprinted several times and served to spread the ideas of Scamozzi throughout the Netherlands.