KøbenhanskeMotiver_1587-1807

(see cat. no. 42). A b o ve the portal there is a balcony with tw o atlantes supporting the sculptural decoration of the pediment, am ong other things the n ational coat of arms and the bust o f Frederik IV . The pedim ent w as inspired by South Germ an and A u strian architecture. The window frames have been sim plified. A fte r the burning of the T ow n H all 179 5 the site w as cleared so that Gammeltorv (the old square) and N y to rv (the n ew square) were united. Reproduced p. 5 1. O ne of the few innovation s after the fire in 1795 was the construction of H øjbro square. T he sites of the densely populated area around H øjbro Stræde (3) and Store Færge­ stræde were cleared, and thus a w id e opening was achieved from Am agerto rv and dow n to the canal. The building at the end of the square w as constructed 1582, and from 1656 it served as the city inn under the prom ising name of "Store læ kkerbidsken " (the b ig titbit). The richly de­ corated facades o f the houses on the right-hand side are probably painted im itations o f stone ornamentation. Fur­ thermore one notes several entrances to basement pas­ sages, porches and outside fligh ts o f stairs. M any of the houses have signboards advertisin g stockings, hats, etc. FREDERIKSHOLM S C A N A L 17 5 5 The canal is here seen from the n orth w ith Slotsholmen to the left (see cat. no. 52). In the foreground Stormbroen bridge (4), built 16 8 1 and 176 2 converted into a fixed bridge, since the construction o f the M arble bridge (3) had already made passage impossible. O n the corner of Storm- gade (5) and the canal w e have houses from the 1680s, sligh tly modernized. Then the Prinsen and Plessen Houses (7 and 8). In the background one can just make out a powder m agazine on the C hristian sh avn side af the forti­ fication (10). 70 AM A G E R T O R V 175 6 7 1

at the sea fort T rekroner w hich, how ever, was not in use at this time. Here there w as alw ays a clear fast-m oving w arship, w h ich registered all the traffic and which, if ne­ cessary, could catch up w ith any ship that m ight be un­ identified. The v iew covers the stretch from N yh olm to the Citadel. The roofs and spires are reflected in the water. Tw o years later Bruun made a draw ing o f the same view w ith sligh tly altered figures (reproduced in Thurah's D an ­ ish V itru viu s III, published 196 7, substitution plate XII).

67 V IEW FROM VESTERBRO T OW A R D S CO PENH AG EN 175 6

The most valuable piece o f inform ation concerns the sub­ urb of Vesterbro. In the m iddle of the picture Gammel Kongevej can be made out, and on the right the present Vesterbrogade. The long row of houses on the left-hand side stands on the side o f H avem ann's department store, w h ile the range of hills is purely im agin ary, for also at that time this w as where Væ rnedam svej w as. O n the right-hand side betw een the road and Kalvebod the Royal D anish Shooting C om pany and Brotherhood from 1753 had their shooting range, and on this piece o f land the buildin g w h ich n ow houses the Bym useet (C ity Museum of Copenhagen), w as erected in the 1780s. 68 CH R IST IAN SBO RG 175 5 The v iew is taken from w h at is n ow Højbro Square; in the foreground on the right w e have the Chapel (2), connected to the m ain building o f the Palace via a gallery. In Slots- holm sgade stands the Red Building (4), Postgården (the post office 5), w h ich had earlier belonged to A n n a Sophie R even tlow (see cat. no. 27), and the Lerche House (6), built 1742.

69 THE T O W N H A L L 175 6 The m ain facade of the T ow n H all, w hich had been re­ constructed after the fire in 1728, overlooked G amm eltorv

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