Architectural History Seminar II

ARCH 651 Early Modern European Theory of Architecture

Prerequisites: ARCH 650 Architectural History Seminar I. Postgraduate M.Arch II and Ph.D. I students enrolled in the History and Theory Program are required to audit simultaneously course ARCH 532 - The seminar will normally take place in the Rare Books Department Seminar Room of the McLennan Library. There will be 13 sessions of 3 hours duration. This course may also be taken by M. Arch I students with a demonstrated interest and background in history of architecture and who have previously and successfully completed the lecture course ARCH 532.

8 credits

Introduction

The general topics of these weekly seminars are described in the lecture course description - Origins of Modern Architecture (attached). Participants in the seminars are expected to be familiar with the secondary sources that refer to the lectures, particularly those sources marked with an asterisk (*) in the lecture course syllabus. Students will be asked to choose two sessions during the first class meeting. On three occasions during the term, each student will present a primary source (or a few selected sources) in its context, and will chair a discussion around the topic. Assignments will take account of the students' knowledge of languages. The following list of texts, therefore, will not be covered in its entirety, but serves as a point of departure for our sessions.

The presentations will be oral, and students are expected to submit a 3-5-page paper/outline, providing a copy to each participant at class time (copies may be made in advance in the school office through the program secretary). After the seminar discussion, and taking into account any important suggestions, students may develop one of their presentations (one of a total of six in both Fall and Winter History seminars) into a paper (20-25 pages of text maximum, plus bibliography and footnotes), for final submission with the project document at the end of July.

Tutorial advice for the History paper is available during the Fall and Springs semesters. A draft version of the paper will be presented orally and submitted during the final all-day session 13. A second, similar session for the final presentation of student papers will take place during the last week of June (please consult your schedule). Students are encouraged to make appointments to speak with Dr. Pérez-Gómez about their papers as soon as possible. While normally papers refer to class presentations, it is always possible to write about questions of a more personal interest to students, as long as they raise architectural issues through a discussion of specific artefacts. A broad sample of papers and previous Master’s dissertations is available in the History and Theory office for consultation.

For secondary sources in relation to each session, please refer to the lecture course bibliography (attached). Key secondary sources are marked. An excellent bibliographical guide to the primary sources is M. Schlosser, La Letteratura Artistica. Excerpts of many French primary sources may be found in F. Fichet, La théorie architecturale à l'âge classique (Mardaga paperback). Also consult the Master’s and Ph.D. dissertations from the History and Theory program, available in the school office or through the university library.

Primary Texts for Discussion

Week 1 Italian Baroque Theory
For secondary sources refer to recommended readings under session 2 in lecture course bibliography.

1. Borromini F., Opera.
2. Galileo G., Dialogue of Two New Sciences.
3. Ripa C., Iconologia. (original ed. and Hertel ed.). See also Valeriano and Horapollo Hieroglyphica and Alciati, Emblemata. Check diverse eds. in McLennan's Rare Book section).
4. Loyola I., Spiritual Exercises.
5. Fontana D., Il Tempio Vaticano e sua Origine (Templum Vaticanum et ipsius origo). (For engravings concerning the moving of the obelisks by Carlo Fontana, for context see M.Arch. dissertation by Eric Tocker.)

Week 2
Secondary sources listed in session 2 of lecture course bibliography.

1. Guarino G., Architettura Civile and other available primary sources.
2. Caramuel de Lobkowitz J., Architectura Civil Recta y Oblicua.
3. Malebranche N., De la recherche de la vérité and Entretiens sur la métaphysique, English eds. available.

Week 3 Central European Baroque Theory
Secondary sources listed in session 3 of lecture course bibliography.

1. Fischer von Erlach J.B., A Plan of Civil and Historical Architecture.
2. Kircher A.; Primary sources available in medical library.
3. Comenius J.A., Orbis Pictus.
4. Leibniz G.G., Discourse on Metaphysics and Monadology, selections in Philosophical Writings, Parkinson G.H.R. ed.

Week 4 French Classical Theory
Secondary sources listed in session 4 of lecture course bibliography.

1. Perrault C., Ordonnance des cinq espèces de colonnes (early English tr. in the library, original first ed. at Université de Montréal; new English tr., ed. by Pérez-Gómez).
2. Perrault C., Les dix livres d'architecture de Vitruve.
3. Perrault Ch., "Architecture" in Parallèle des anciens et modernes.
4. Perrault Ch. "Descartes" in Les hommes illustres qui ont paru en France.
5. Blondel F., Cours d'architecture.
6. Félibien A., Principes de l'architecture and Entretiens.
7. Perrault C., Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire naturelle des animaux (Blacker-Wood Biology Library).
8. Perrault Ch., Contes.
9. Perrault Ch., Pensées chrétiennes (reference).

Week 5 Between the 17th and the 18th centuries. Fortifications. Gardens and Landscape architecture
Secondary sources listed in sessions 5 and 6 of lecture course bilbiography.

1. Palissy B., Recepte véritable in Oeuvres.
2. Goldman N., La nouvelle fortification. Cataneo P., Quatro Libri (1559).
3. Furttenbach J., Architectura (reprint) and other primary sources in the library. (See Errard J., Dürer A., Pagan G.F., Perret J.). Also Stevin Oeuvres mathématiques.
4. Vauban S. le P. de, Oeuvres and English tr. of Manual on Siegecraft and Fortifications.
5. Bélidor F. de, La science des ingénieurs. Also see de Holanda F., Dialogues avec Michelange.
6. De Fallois, École de la Fortification.
7. Dezallier d'Argenville A.J., The Theory and Practice of Gardening (La Théorie et la Pratique du Jardinage). Look under Le Blonde. Also other primary sources in the library: de Serres O., Boyceau, Mollet A., Ferrari G.B., Hero of Alexandria.
8. Schabol R., La théorie du jardinage and La pratique du jardinage.
9. Whately, Observations on Modern Gardening.

Week 6 Perspective in the Early Modern period
Secondary sources listed in session 6 of lecture course bibliography.

1. French, Italian or English 17th century perspective treatises available in the library. (See Kircher and Schott).
2. Niceron J.F., La perspective curieuse. (at the CCA)
3. Du Breuil, Perspective pratique.
4. Desargues G., Oeuvres (also under Bosse A. and Field and Gray, The Geometrical Work of Gérard Desargues, for context see Field, The Invention of Infinity, and Marcel Duchamp, “White Box” in conjunction with Paz O., Marcel Duchamp, and essay by Paz in A. D’Harnoncourt ed., Marcel Duchamp).
5. Pozzo A., Rules and Examples of Perspective.
6. Salomon de Caus, La raison des forces mouvantes (music library)
7. Galli Bibiena F., Architettura Civile.
8. Lambert J.H., La perspective affranchie...du geometral, Facs. reprint, Norfolk, England.

Week 7 French Neoclassical Theory
Refer to secondary sources listed under session 7 and 8 of lecture course bibliography.

1. Frémin M., Mémoires critiques d'architecture.
2. Cordemoy, Nouveau traité de toute l'architecture.
3. Laugier, Essai sur l'architecture (or English tr.).
4. Laugier, Observations sur l'architecture.
5. Soufflot J.G., "Mémoire sur les proportions de l'architecture," and other papers in Petzet M., Soufflots Sainte Geneviève.

Week 8 French and English 18th Century Theory
Refer to secondary sources listed under session 9 of lecture course bibliography.

1. Blondel J.F., Cours d'architecture and Architecture françoise.
2. Diderot, Encyclopedia Intro. and plates first ed. For context read M. Foucault, The Order of Things, Preface and chs. 1,2,3.
3. Frezier A.F., Traité de stéréotomie and Dissertations sur les ordres d'architecture.
4. Briseux C.E., Traité du beau essentiel.
5. Patte P., Mémoires sur les objets les plus importants de l'architecture.
6. Le Camus de Mézières N., Le génie de l'architecture (tr.).
English Texts:
7. Wotton H., The Elements of Architecture.
8. Morris R., In Defence of Ancient Architecture and Lectures.
9. Langley B., A Compleat Guide for Builders.
10. Ware I., The Complete Body of Architecture.
11. Chambers W., A Treatise on the Decorative Part of Civil Architecture.

Week 9 The Theory of the Rigoristti
Secondary sources listed under session 10 of lecture course bibliography.

1. Vico G.B., The New Science, esp. Bk I, Sections 2-4; Bk II, Prolegomena, Sections 1,2,7; Bk III, Section 2.
2. Memmo A., Elementi di Architettura Lodoliana.
3. Piranesi G.B., Polemical Works, (many originals in Blackader and McLennan). Read as context Eisenstein S., “Piranesi or the Fluidity of Form,” reprinted in Oppositions 11, or in French in La non-indifférente Nature.

Week 10 Late 18th Century French Theory
Secondary sources listed under session 10 of lecture course bibliography.

1. Boullée E.L., Essai sur l'art.
2. Ledoux C.N., L'architecture considérée sous le rapport...
3. Hejduk J., Mask of Medusa, esp. “Berlin Masque.”
4. Viel de Saint Maux C.F., Lettres sur l'architecture.

Week 11 Early 19th century theories. Pedagogy. Origins of functionalism.
Secondary sources listed under session 11 and 12 of lecture course bibliography.

1. Durand J.N.L., Précis de leçons d'architecture.
2. Durand J.N.L., Recueil et parallèle des edifices... anciens et modernes.
3. Rondelet J., Traité théorique et pratique de l'art de bâtir.
4. Guadet J., Éléments et théories de l'architecture.
5. C.F. Viel, Architecture (at the CCA)

Week 12 Romanticism and modernism.
Secondary sources listed under session 13 of the lecture course bibliography.

Week 13 All-day session.
Presentation of draft papers by students.

Assessment of Candidates

No examination will be given in this course. The mark will be based on the two formal presentations (60%), on the presentation and submission of the first draft of the History paper (30%), and on the informal participation of students in the seminar group.

A. Pérez Gómez