BOOKS ON ARCHITECTURE



Author(s) Ryff, Walther Hermann
Title
Der Architectur furnembsten notwendigsten... bericht...
Imprint Nuremberg, G. Hain, 1558
Localisation Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, 72.E.77*
Subject Architecture, geometry, perspective, proportions
Transcribed version of the text

French

     The second edition of the Bericht, which had come out soon after Ryff’s death, was revised by the new publisher Gabriel Hain, Johann Petreius’s son-in-law. The title and consequently the title page were modified and the summary was reduced to one page. A new chapter at the beginning of the book gives elementary definitions of geometry, supplemented with plates by Cesariano (1521) and develops the properties of the circle with models of vases inspired by Serlio’s Book I (1545) in very decorated versions (ff. XIIv°- XIVv°). The book continues with developments on perspective from the first edition, perspective applied to sculpture, and lastly on ballistics and fortifications.

Yves Pauwels (Centre d’études supérieures de la Renaissance, Tours) – 2014


Critical bibliography

I. Dann, “Walther Ryff”, H. Günther (ed.), Deutsche Architekturtheorie zwischen Gothik und Renaissance, Darmstadt, Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1988, pp. 79-88.

H. Günther, “Les ouvrages d’architecture publiés par Walther Hermann Ryff, à Nuremberg en 1547 et 1548”, S. Deswarte-Rosa (ed.), Sebastiano Serlio à Lyon. Architecture et imprimerie, Lyon, Mémoire Active, 2004, pp. 501-503.

J. Jachmann, Die Architekturbücher des Walter Hermann Ryff: Vitruvrezeption im Kontext mathematischer Wissenschaften, Stuttgart, Ibidem-Verlag, 2006.

H.-O. Keunecke, “Johann Petreius (1469/97-1550). Ein Betrag zu Leben und Werck des Nürnberger Buchdruckers, Verlegers und Buchhandlers”, Mitteilungen des Vereins für Geschichte der Stadt Nürnberg, 69, 1982, pp. 110-129.

H. Röttingen, Die Holzschnitte zur Architektur und zum Vitruvius Teutsch des Walther Rivius, Strasbourg, Heitz, 1914, pp. 21-22.