KøbenhanskeMotiver_1587-1807

31 THE CASTLE SQUARE 1729 Frederik IV was n ot satisfied w ith the non-hom ogeneous appearance o f the old Castle, and consequently he had it totally rebuilt in order to create a more modern residence. This happened 1 7 2 4 -2 7 ; some o f the w in gs w ere entirely torn down, others o n ly p a rtia lly so. A hom ogeneous fa ­ cade was made in w h ich w in d ow s, cornices, and roofridge were in line all the w a y round the buildings, and at the same time a certain m onum ental sym m etry w as achieved by the conversion o f B låtårn (the blue tower) into a gate tower. J. C. Ernst and J. C. K rieger w ere in charge o f this difficult rebuilding. Since the m edieval grund-plan re­ mained practically unaltered, the result o f the m oderniza­ tion did not turn out w ell, and consequently the Castle was not allowed to stand more than four years in its new shape. The C han cellery on the le ft is rendered w ith its final segmental pedim ent (see cat. no. 27). 32 VIEW OF THE DOCK 1739 On May 26th, 173 9 the n ew d ry dock on Christianshavn was opened. It w as constructed b y J. H. Dum reicher and considered a technical master-piece, and as such also often reproduced. Imm ediately after the in au gu ration the w a r­ ship Christianus Sixtus put in to be repaired, and w e see it here at the n ew dock in the centre o f the picture. The wooden tower on the right is the pump house, w h ile the noble structure w ith the big w a v in g flag on the left is the pavilion from w h ich the R oyal fam ily could w atch the work. In the background, betw een the masts of the w ar­ ship, we see V or Frelsers kirke (the Church of O u r Saviour) which had not acquired its tw isted spire yet. A little to the right - partly hidden behind a sail - the recently built assembly hall of the A sia tic C om p an y can be made out. Reproduced p. 33.

Christian VI decided to have all the buildings pulled down sh ortly after his accession to the Throne. D uring the next decade a modern residence, from 174 1 called Christians­ borg, was constructed. This view is the first picture of the new palace as it looked before the fire in 1794. Possibly it is the entry of the Royal fam ily in November 1740 w hich is here portrayed. The part of the Palace facing the square is completed on the outside - inside it was still imperfect, and behind it the marble bridge and pavilions had not yet been built. The gouache is among Bruun's early and inexpert view s. 34 COPENHAGEN FROM THE NO RTH EA ST c. 174 1 The artist must have been onboard a ship on the outer roads, and the part of town which he describes is the stretch from the Stock Exchange to Rosenborg Castle. The bastions to the right in the foreground must be those of the Citadel. Behind and between these, just to the left of Rundetårn (the round tower), we see the spireless Vor Frue kirke (the Church of O ur Lady). The old spire had been destroyed in the fire of 1728, and it was not replaced until 1745. 35 BJØRNS PLAD S 174 1 1735 the merchant "prince" Andreas Bjørn obtained ad­ m ission to reclaim and develop a large lot southeast of the dock on Christianshavn, the building of w hich had on ly just begun (see cat. no. 32). Here he placed the shipyard Bjørnsholm , and the whole district was called Bjørns plads. The draw ing show s the launching of the warship "K jøbenhavns Slot" (the Castle of Copenhagen) on N o­ vember 30th, 174 1. In 1762 Bjørn's w idow sold the ship­ yard to the merchant Carl W ilder, whose name the area carries now.

33 CHR ISTIAN SBORG 174 0 Although Frederik IV had ju st undertaken a thorough modernization of the old C astle (see cat. no. 3 1), his son

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