Page - 88 - in Wiener Jahrbuch für Kunstgeschichte, Volume LIX

Kristoffer neville88 ancient monuments, which he later cited in the Ent wurff.2 But Fischer went beyond the recon- structions and antiquarian works of his prede- cessors by giving his book a new structure and a new approach. The Temple of Solomon, the wonders of the ancient world, and several other famous ancient monuments form Book One. These are followed by various Roman structures in Book Two, a clutch of non-western monu- ments, such as the pagoda of Nanking and a series of mosques, in Book Three, and, finally, a representative selection of Fischer’s own archi- tecture in Book Four. A semi-independent fifth book presents a suite of vases, some ancient, some his own invention. An extensive text ac- companies the first two books. Cumulatively, it presents a structured history of world architec- ture, in which the achievements of the ancient world culminate in the modern world, repre- sented by Fischer’s own work. The paramount importance of the book’s structure is evident in the full explication of the contents and their or- der on the title page. The importance of the book has long been recognized. In the eighteenth century, it went through three German editions and two Eng- lish editions.3 It was studied carefully by many contemporary architects, and has since been seen as a milestone in the literature of architecture.4 But despite the importance of the work and the strong interest it has drawn since its publication, we know surprisingly little about its develop- ment. Fischer himself wrote in the application for publication privilege in 1721 that he had worked on the book for sixteen years, placing the inception of the project around 1705. This must refer to a more concentrated focus or a clearer concept of what he wanted to do, however, since he evidently showed a general interest in the an- tiquarian scholarship that supports the book in Rome in the 1670s and 1680s. A number of the plates of contemporary works were initially produced for other publica- tions, but were used or reused in the Entwurff. The engraving of Schönbrunn Palace near Vienna was sent as an independent image to Salzburg, Graz, Berlin, and elsewhere in 1701. The plates of the Collegiate Church of Our Lady in Salzburg were originally part of a project to document the patronage of Prince-Bishop Count Thun in Salzburg, which was aborted when he died in 1709.5 With the exception of the larger early Schön brunn print, however, these various pro- jects were similar enough in format and scale that they could later be assembled in a new context. The concept of the Entwurff was clear by 1712. Emperor Joseph I died suddenly in April of the previous year, and was succeeded in De- cember by his brother, Charles VI. Fischer and Heraeus, the antiquarian, concettisto, and keeper of the imperial antiquities and numismatic col- lections, prepared a version of the book com- prised of a manuscript text and printed images for presentation to the new ruler. All court em- ployees served by the grace of the emperor. After the death of the ruler, they continued in their 2 Kunoth, Die Historische Architektur Fischers von Erlach (cit. n. 1), pp. 45–46. Hellmut Hager has recently pointed to Carlo Fontana’s historical work in this context, which has not often been taken into consideration. See H. Hager, Carlo Fontana e i suoi allievi: il caso di Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, in: M. Fagioli/G. Bonaccorso (eds), Studi sui Fontana. Una dinastia di architetti ticinese a Roma tra Manierismo e Barocco, Rome 2009, pp. 237–256. 3 The Entwurff was first published in Vienna in 1721, with subsequent editions in Leipzig (1725 and 1742) and London (1730 and 1737). 4 W. Oechslin, Bildungsgut und Antikenrezeption im frühen Settecento in Rom. Studien zum römischen Aufent- halt Bernardo Antonio Vittones, Zürich 1972. – W. Oechslin, Fischer von Erlachs ‘Entwurff einer historischen Architectur’: die Integration einer erweiterten Geschichtsauffassung in der Architektur im Zeichen des erstarkten Kaisertums in Wien, in: E. Liskar (ed.), Wien und der europäische Barock (Akten des XXV. Internationalen Kon- gresses für Kunstgeschichte), vol. VII, Vienna 1986, pp. 77–81. – Prange, Entwurf und Phantasie (cit. n. 1). 5 Prange, Entwurf und Phantasie (cit. n. 1), p. 57.