Monday, May 1, 2017

Designs from Renaissance Antwerp

Pieter van der Borcht after Hans Vredeman de Vries
Three long tables
ca. 1583
etching
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

"This solid and tasteful furniture was subjected by Mr. Knott to frequent changes of position, both absolute and relative.  Thus it was not rare to find, on the Sunday, the tallboy on its feet by the fire, and the dressing-table on its head by the bed, and the nightstool on its face by the door, and the wash-hand stand on its back by the window; and, on the Monday, the tallboy on its head by the bed, and the dressing-table on its face by the door, and the nightstool on its back by the window, and the washhand-stand on its feet by the fire; and, on the Tuesday, the tallboy on its face by the door, and the dressing-table on its back by the window, and the nightstool on its feet by the fire, and the washhand-stand on its head by the bed; and, on the Wednesday, the tallboy on its back by the window, and the dressing-table on its feet by the fire, and the nightstool on its head by the bed, and the washhand-stand on its face by the door; and, on the Thursday, the tallboy on its side by the fire, and the dressing-table on its feet by the bed, and the nightstool on its head by the door, and the washhand-stand on its face by the window; and, on the Friday, the tallboy on its feet by the bed, and the dressing-table on its head by the door, and the nightstool on its face by the window, and the washhand-stand on its side by the fire; and, on the Saturday, the tallboy on its head by the door, and the dressing-table on its face by the window, and the nightstool on its side by the fire, and the washhand-stand on its feet by the bed; and, on the Sunday week, the tallboy on its face by the window, and the dressing table on its side by the fire, and the nightstool on its feet by the bed, and the washhand-stand on its head by the door; and, on the Monday week, the tallboy on its back by the fire, and the dressing-table on its side by the bed, and the nightstool on its feet by the door, and the washhand-stand on its head by the window; and, on the Tuesday week, the tallboy on its side by the bed, and the dressing-table on its feet by the door, and the nightstool on its head by the window, and the washhand-stand on its back by the fire; and, on the Wednesday week, the tallboy on its feet by the door, and the dressing-table on its head by the window, and the nightstool on its back by the fire, and the washhand-stand on its side by the bed; and, on the Thursday week, the tallboy on its head by the window, and the dressing-table on its back by the fire, and the nightstool on its side by the bed, and the washhand-stand on its feet by the door; and, on the Friday week, the tallboy on its face by the fire, and the dressing-table on its back by the bed, and the nightstool on its side by the door, and the washhand-stand on its feet by the window; and, on the Saturday week, the tallboy on its back by the bed, and the dressing-table on its side by the door, and the nightstool on its feet by the window, and the washhand-stand on its face by the fire; and, on the Sunday fortnight, the tallboy on its side by the door, and the dressing-table on its feet by the window, and the nightstool on its face by the fire, and the washhand-stand on its back by the bed; and, on the Monday fortnight, the tallboy on its feet by the window, and the dressing-table on its face by the fire, and the nightstool on its back by the bed, and the washhand-stand on its side by the door; and, on the Tuesday fortnight, the tallboy on its head by the fire, and the dressing-table on its face by the bed, and the nightstool on its back by the door, and the washhand-stand on its side by the window; and, on the Wednesday fortnight, the tallboy on its face by the bed, and the dressing-table on its back by the door, and the nightstool on its side by the window, and the washhand-stand on its head by the fire; and, on the Thursday fortnight, the tallboy on its back by the door, and the dressing-table on its side by the window, and the nightstool on its head by the fire, and the washhand-stand on its face by the bed; and, on the Friday fortnight, the tallboy on its side by the window, and the dressing-table on its head by the fire, and the nightstool on its face by the bed, and the washhand-stand on its back by the door, for example, not at all rare, to consider only, over a period of twenty days only, the tallboy, the dressing-table, the nightstool and the washhand-stand, and their feet, and heads, and faces, and backs and unspecified sides, and the fire, and the bed, and the door, and the window, not at all rare."

 from Watt by Samuel Beckett, first published in 1953

Pieter van der Borcht after Hans Vredeman de Vries
Three tables
ca. 1583
etching
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Pieter van der Borcht after Hans Vredeman de Vries
Four long tables
ca. 1583
etching
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Pieter van der Borcht after Hans Vredeman de Vries
Eight long tables
ca. 1583
etching
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Pieter van der Borcht after Hans Vredeman de Vries
Two Beds
ca. 1583
etching
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Pieter van der Borcht after Hans Vredeman de Vries
Two Sideboards
ca. 1583
etching
Rijksmuseum,  Amsterdam

Pieter van der Borcht after Hans Vredeman de Vries
Four Half- Sideboards
ca. 1583
etching
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Pieter van der Borcht after Hans Vredeman de Vries
Portal with one door
ca. 1583
etching
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Pieter van der Borcht after Hans Vredeman de Vries
Portal with two doors
ca. 1583
etching
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Pieter van der Borcht after Hans Vredeman de Vries
Four Half-Portals
ca. 1583
etching
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Pieter van der Borcht after Hans Vredeman de Vries
Eight cornices
ca. 1583
etching
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Pieter van der Borcht for the Plantin Press, Antwerp
Gallery with statues of twelve Emperors in niches
ca. 1594-95
etching
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Lucas van Doetechum after Hans Vredeman de Vries
Open Gallery in the Corinthian Order
ca. 1601
etching
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Lucas van Doetechum after Hans Vredeman de Vries
Trapezoidal panel of ornamental grotesques
1580s
etching
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

"For the chairs also, to mention only the chairs also, were never still."

"For the corners also, to mention only the corners also, were seldom vacant."

 from Watt by Samuel Beckett, first published in 1953