Germain Boffrand

Book excerpt: This title was first published in 2003. Germain Boffrand was one of the great French architects of the early eighteenth century. His work encompassed not only the design of town and country houses for the wealthy but also mines, bridges and hospitals. His Livre d’Architecture is one of the most original books on architecture ever written in France. Taking the Art of Poetry by the Latin poet Horace as its starting point, it developed an aesthetic of architecture focused on character, style and the emotional impact of a building that influenced Blondel, Le Camus de Mezieres and Soane, and is still central to contemporary debate about the nature and meaning of architecture. Translated for the first time by David Britt, Boffrand’s text is here accompanied by an extensive introduction and notes by Caroline van Eck who situates Boffrand within the main issues of eighteenth-century architectural aesthetics. Beautifully illustrated, including all the pictures chosen by Boffrand for his original publication, this book is an invaluable tool for teaching the history of architectural theory and an essential work for any architectural library. Germain Boffrand is published with the assistance of the Getty Foundation.