BOOKS ON ARCHITECTURE

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Transcribed version of the text

French

     The Hortorum viridariorumque... formæ holds a very important place in the production of garden books coming out in the second half of the 16^th century and the beginning of the 17^th century north of the Alps.  It is considered to be the first book which gives a group of garden projects in the Renaissance style.  At the same time, the images are all represented following the rules of central perspective.  The horizon is situated above the top edge of the illustration in such a way that the spectator looks down on the gardens and can easily give himself an idea of their design and their contents.  Vredeman de Vries failed to add an introduction or an explanatory part to the images contained in his book.  This absence contrasts with this author's other books, like for example his Architectura (1577, 1582) or his book Perspective in two parts (1604-1605).  For this reason it is interesting to refer to contemporary books treating gardens and their planting, planning and structures, such as for example those books by Charles Estienne, Jean Liébault, Olivier de Serres, Élie Vinet, etc.  In Le théâtre d’agriculture, published in Paris en 1600, Serres distinguished among four sort of gardens: the vegetable garden, the "flower garden", the medicinal garden and the fruit garden or orchard.  Following this typology, Vredeman de Vries' gardens belong exclusively to the "flower garden" (there is no mention of the orchard outside of the word "vergers" in the title of the book.  The "flower garden" is a pleasure garden decorated with geometric parterres, trellises,  bowers, pergolas (concentric and in arbor shapes), trees and bushes trimmed into fantastic shapes, trimmed hedges, all sorts of flowers, gateways, statues, etc.
Vredeman artificially connects the different models of pleasure garden to the Vitruvian orders, nevertheless considering only the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders.  Six gardens illustrate the Doric order, going from a rather simple structure to a garden with very geometric compartments, surrounded by monumental covered passages and dominated by a round pergola with an upper story and a cupola.  The Ionic order is illustrated by seven examples of pleasure gardens, characterized again by the complexity of the palings, avenues, passages and even by a covered fountain of a garden pavilion, graced with statues and "putti piscatori".  Lastly, seven gardens, whose geometric compartments are structured according to models of the labyrinthian type, correspond to the Corinthian order.  The connection with the three classical orders seems altogether arbitrary, except perhaps in the case of the Corinthian order associated with the labyrinth.  The absence of the Tuscan order can be explained by the fact that the vegetable garden or the medicinal garden, or even the fruit garden and the orchard are not treated by de Vries.  These gardens, rather utilitarian, could be associated with the Tuscan order, the simplest and most functional of the architectural orders.  Another hypothesis relates to the composite order, which certain authors put in relation with the second series of gardens drawn by Vredeman and published by Théodore Galle around 1600.  But no indication or inscription by the author goes in that direction.
Vredeman de Vries' book is not to be considered a book of models or a theoretical work.  In fact, the intentional omission of basic layouts, technical details and even the dearth of data concerning the planting and use of flowers, trees and beeches, make this collection impractical for the gardener or the architect.  In this respect it is interesting to note that, unlike what he does in the Architectura and the Perspective, the author does not say in the title page that his models are intended for professionals; he confines himself to indicating that these are examples of "belles et diverses figures" of gardens, which are (artificially) placed in connection with the rules of architecture.  These remarks refer to the status of arts and sciences at the end of the 16^th century.  By organizing the presentation of the models according to architectural orders, Vredeman tries to confer on garden art a status comparable to that of architecture, trying to show that in having recourse to the orders that the rules of architecture can also be applied to garden art.  All the variations referring to the numerous elements and ornaments of each one of the architectural orders (and this was clearly proven and annotated in his book Architectura) can also be applied to the planning of the shapes in the pleasure garden.  The forms of the Italian Renaissance, referring to antique art, can be applied with a great deal of flexibility, following the artist's imagination, as well in garden art as in architecture.
Vredeman de Vries represented other gardens in other series of engravings, often as the decoration of a scene or an architectural representation.  One notices a certain resemblance between these models and those of the present collection, as in the series of  Perspective (1604-1605, vol. 1, fig. 43; vol. 2, fig. 9 and 19) or Les cinq rangs de l'architecture (1617, fig. 2, 3 and 4).  Occasionally, the representations predate those of the Hortorum viridariorumque ... formae, as the series Theatrum vitae humanae (1577, fig. 1 and 2).  In practice, we know that Vredeman was hired to create a pleasure garden at Wolfenbüttel for Duke Julius in 1588.  Unfortunately, his projects have disappeared.  The different series of gardens by Vredeman de Vries inspired many artists and engravers during the end of the 16^th and the beginning of the 17^th century.  In 1591-1592, Hans Puechfeldner drew a series of fifty-six pleasure gardens in perspective for Emperor Rudolph II, entitled Ein nutzliches Kunstbuech der Gardtnery, probably meant to be engraved.  The drawings of the Austrian artist are in large part inspired by the engravings in Hortorum viridariorumque ... formae and are occasionally even copies from it.  The four engravings of gardens in perspective done in 1614 by the Dutch artist Crispijn van de Passe the Younger which make up the introduction to the herbarium Hortus Floridus in quo rariorum & minus vulgarium florum icones..., composed of one hundred and sixty reproductions of flowers grouped together according to the four seasons, again represent the pleasure gardens whose layout and architecture were taken from Vredeman de Vries' work.
There were two other editions.  One came out in 1600 at the presses of Théodore Galle (1571-1633), the son of Philippe (1537-1612), who had published the first edition in Antwerp in 1583.  The 1600 edition was enlarged by a series of eight engravings of gardens, also by Vredeman de Vries, and by another series of six engravings representing gardens in perspective by the draftsman, engraver and painter, Pieter IV van der Borcht (1545-1608).  A third final edition came out around 1636-1640, with the same series as the second edition.  It was published by Joan Galle (1600-1676), Théodore's elder son.

Piet Lombaerde (Hoger Instituut voor Architectuurwetenschappen Henry van de Velde,
Association Université Anvers) – 2009

Critical bibliography

E. A. De Jong, "Gärten auf Papier. Hans Vredeman de Vries und sein Hortorum Viridariorumque elegantes & multiplicis formae von 1583", U. Härting (ed.), Gärten und Höfe der Rubenszeit im Spiegel der Malerfamilie Brueghel und der Künstler um Peter Paul Rubens, Munich, Hirmer, 2000, pp. 37-47.

P. Fuhring (ed.), De wereld is een tuin. Hans Vredeman de Vries en de tuinkunst van de Renaissance, Ghent/Amsterdam, Ludion, 2002.

P. Fuhring & G. Luijten (ed.), Hollstein’s Dutch & Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450-1700, Vredeman de Vries 1572-1630, 48, 2, Rotterdam, Sound & Vision Interactive, 1997, pp. 122-136.

P. Lombaerde (ed.), Hans Vredeman de Vries and the ‘Artes Mechanicae’ revisited, Turnhout, Brepols, 2005.

U. M. Mehrtens, "Johan Vredeman de Vries and the Hortorum Formae", M. Mosser & G. Teyssot (ed.), The History of Garden Design. The Western Tradition from the Renaissance to the Present Day, London, Thames & Hudson, 1991, pp. 103-105.

H. Mielke, Hans Vredeman de Vries. Verzeichnis der Stichwerke und Beschreibung seines Stiles sowie Beiträge zum Werk Gerard Groennings, doctoral thesis, Berlin, 1967.

A. Schoy, "Les jardins flamands à la fin du XVI^e siècle au point de vue de l’art", Journal des Beaux-Arts et de Littérature, 15, February 28, 1873, 4, pp. 29-31, March 15, 1873, 5, pp. 37-39.