A complete body of architecture was written by Isaac Ware, who was an English architect and lived from 1704 to 1766. He worked as a translator of Andrea Palladio, an Italian Renaissance architect. After growing up in poverty he got adopted where his talent was recognised quickly. He was a member of the St. Martin’s Lane Academy in which many important figures of the Rococo movement were. He translated and re-illustrated Palladio’s four books of architecture, as he was dissatisfied with Palladio’s translation and its illustrations.
A complete body of architecture is one book of his few works, which was serially released between November 1755 and September 1757. The title indicates that there will be a full explanation to architecture and its components. It could also include a guide as to how the different aspects work and should be done. With its extensive table of plates and lengthy content list it has 748 sites and an index at the end. It consists of or more so include 10 books, where everyone focuses on a different architectural aspect.
These ten different themes are:
- 1. On terms and materials;
- 2. On location, functional parts of a building, the orders;
- 3. House construction;
- 4. Doors;
- 5. Windows;
- 6. Interior ornament;
- 7. Exterior ornament and garden buildings;
- 8. Bridges;
- 9. The construction of elevations on true principles;
- 10. Mathematics and mensuration.
There are many plans, drawings and illustrations in the book, including some that are folded and are rather big. Most of the illustrations seem to be technical drawings and non-coloured. As it is a big book in general, measuring 45.7 cm x 29.2 cm, it is heavy and gives off the impression of including very detailed descriptions and explanations of architectural components.
21-917-455
Trivial as it may seem, I began my research with the bare name of my author: Isaac Ware. Was there a counterpart to my book? One that contained the Palladian theory and not just its sketches.
The Post “Concept_A Complete Body of Architecture – Archived” posted 04/02/2021 could be the counterpart to my book. According to the description of the post, Isaac Ware explains the materiality of buildings, compares them and specifies how to construct correctly to achieve perfection. My book would be the counterpart to that because it has the sketches of Palladian buildings. So it would be the pictorial study and this book would be the written. Also the Post
“Argument_89” posted on 12/14/2021 goes into more detail about the book “A complete body of architecture” by Isaac Ware. The book seems to be a large study with technical drawings of the buildings or more detailed illustration of the built detail. My book has only sketches and blank pages. These blank pages may have once been filled with reflections and notes that have faded with time. This makes me revise my statement that my book is complementary to this larger study. Rather, the publication dates of the books indicate that my book “Designs of Inigo Jones and others” was the forerunner or may have served as an illustration collection. Possibly there is no direct connection between the two books except that they share the same author.
My Book (Melissa Roth – 19612944) was Book #84: “Designs of Inigo Jones and others” by Isaac Ware published 1742.
While browsing through the posts I came across this one. After reading through it, I realized that many arguments overlap. I saw that your book (A complete body of architecture) was also written and published around the same time (circa 1700). Another very clear similarity is the aspect of the drawings. Also in my book The architecture of Palladio there are very detailed and technical drawings which are not colored. Even though The architecture of Palladio is not as big as yours, it has oversized dimensions for a book. The aspect of description and detailed texts explaining architectural components is also a common feature of the books.
#20-727-780