University of Virginia Library

59a. Jones, Inigo.

Vol. I. THE / DESIGNS / OF / INIGO JONES, / Consisting of /
PLANS and ELEVATIONS / FOR / Publick and Private Buildings. /
Publish'd by William Kent, / With some Additional Designs. / The
FIRST VOLUME. / M. DCC. XXVII.

Folio. Engraved allegorical portrait of Jones (1 leaf); title page (1
leaf); dedication (1 leaf); note (1 leaf); list of plates (3 leaves); list
of subscribers (1 leaf); 49 engravings, of which 7 are double and 5 are
folding (listed as 73 plates, through multiple numbering on some
plates).

bound with

Vol. II. THE / DESIGNS / OF / INIGO JONES / . . . / THE
SECOND VOLUME / . . .

Folio. Title page (1 leaf); list of plates (3 leaves); 46 engraved plates,
of which 17 are double (listed as 63 plates through multiple numbering
on some plates).

The delineators of Vol. I were the architects William Kent and Henry
Flitcroft. Flitcroft (1697-1769) was the son of Jefferey Flitcroft, the
gardener to William III at Hampton Court. Apprenticed to a joiner for
seven years, the younger Flitcroft worked as a carpenter for the earl of
Burlington, but, having broken a leg, was used as a draftsman on this
book issued at the earl's expense. Success as an architect came quickly
to Flitcroft after that, and by 1758 he was comptroller of the works. The
engravers were I. Cole (fl. ca.1720), who engraved many buildings;
Pierre or Paul Foudrinier (No. 21); Antoine Herisset (1685-1769),
who often worked with plans and who was the father and grandfather of
engravers; and Hendrich Hulsberg (d.1729), Dutch, who worked in
London. Of the designs included the earl of Burlington "inv." (devised)
four and William Kent six.

Flitcroft was the delineator of Vol. II, while Hulsburg and Cole
were the engravers. Burlington was credited with five of the designs and
Palladio with four.

The list of subscribers shows one bricklayer, one cabinetmaker, six
carpenters, one carver, one doctor, three ecclesiastics, five joiners, six
masons, two painters, three plasterers, one schoolmaster, one statuary,
and one timber merchant. The architects included Colin Campbell,

James Gibbs, Nicholas Hawksmoor, Christopher Wren the younger, and
Isaac Ware. The engraver Fourdrinier was a subscriber, as was also the
improbably named Christopher Horsenail.

Inigo Jones (1573-1654) was born in London and educated in Italy
as a painter. He was in Italy a second time about 1613. On his return he
served as both architect and set designer and generally brought many
Italianate architectural and theatrical ideas to England. By 1615 he was
surveyor general of the works and continued to be an influential figure
until his death. For portraits of him, see Plates LIV and LV.

William Kent (1684-1748), born in Yorkshire, was apprenticed to a
coach painter. He made his way to London and later went to Rome to
study as a painter. There he met Richard Boyle (1695-1753), third earl
of Burlington, who became his patron and who furthered his interest
in architecture and landscape architecture.

This book is the result of Burlington's interest in Jones and his
possession of many of Jones's drawings. The note in the 1727 edition
tells us:

Sowerby points out that Kimball (pp. 133, 134) says Jefferson must
have had or known The Designs by 1779, since he refers to it several
times in his notes for some of the decorative structures proposed in that
year at Monticello. One of the plates specifically mentioned is Plate
LXXIII of Vol. I, a plate which reproduces a garden house at Chiswick
(see Plate LVI).[12]

Plate LIV. From No. 59a. Frontispiece.

Plate LV. From No. 59a. Title page (Vol. I).

Plate LVI. From No. 59a. Elevation of a temple in the garden at Chiswick (Vol. 1,
Pl. 73).

The 1727 edition was the first. It was the one owned by Jefferson
and sold by him to Congress. The more expansive edition of 1770 (see
No. 59b) was ordered by Jefferson for the University in the section on
"Architecture" of the want list. It was the one actually bought, having
been received before the 1828 Catalogue was compiled. The University
presently owns both editions, the 1727 one being the gift of the Thomas
Jefferson Memorial Foundation.

M

Sowerby 4217

*NA997.J7K4.1727