Philips Vingboons

Philips Vingboons
Born	c. 1607 Amsterdam, Dutch Republic
Died	1678 Amsterdam, Dutch Republic
Nationality	Dutch
Occupation	Architect
Buildings	Herengracht 168 Kloveniersburgwal 95

Philips Vingboons (or Vinckboons, Vinckeboons, Vinckbooms) (c. 1607 – 1678) was a Dutch architect. He was part of the school of Jacob van Campen, that is, Dutch Classicism. Vingboons was especially highly regarded in his native city of Amsterdam.

Biography

Herengracht 168

Philips Vingboons was born in circa 1607 in Amsterdam in the Dutch Republic. His father David Vinckboons was a painter from the Southern Netherlands who had fled from Antwerp to Amsterdam during the Dutch Revolt. Vingboons had nine brothers and sisters. His brother Johannes Vingboons was a painter and his brother Justus Vingboons also was an architect.

Vingboons started his career as a painter in the family business with his father and siblings, where he was educated with cartography, mathematics, architecture, and classics. He later became an architect, and he was possibly a student of the architect Jacob van Campen.

Vingboons died in 1678 and was buried on 10 February 1678 in Amsterdam.

Architecture

Model of his plans for the new Amsterdam City Hall (not executed - commission was awarded to Jacob van Campen)

The design of the house at Rokin 145–147 in Amsterdam

The design of the house at Herengracht 466 in Amsterdam

In contrast with Jacob van Campen, Vingboons knew how to fit classicism creatively with the typically narrow city houses of Amsterdam. Philips Vingboons is well named as the inventor of the Amsterdam "Halsgevel" (literally neck front) type of facade, since in 1638 he designed the oldest surviving "Halsgevel" in Amsterdam, at Herengracht 168. Indeed, it is even sometimes called the "Vingboonsgevel" after him. It was widely imitated in the period of Dutch Classicism (1640-1665) on a grand scale. On simpler houses, it appeared as a simple brick pilaster-halsgevel, with a few restrained ornaments - this type is named a "Vingboons-imitatie" (Vingboons-imitation).

Another of his designs was Kloveniersburgwal 95, in 1642, one of the most finely proportioned classical-school city-palaces in Amsterdam. Philips Vingboons lived during the high point of Amsterdam's power and wealth, halfway through the 17th century, and became the city's most important architect and designer. He especially designed houses since, as a Catholic, he was passed over for state commissions. In 1648 and 1674 a book was published with Philips Vingboons' designs ("Afbeeldsels"), through which we have a good idea of his work.

Works

• Herengracht 168 (1638), his upper windows were removed in the 18th century in the widening of the walls
• Singel 282-286 (1639)
• Keizersgracht 319 (1639)
• Singel 548 (1639/42), huis-Huydecoper. In 1943 a bomber crashed into it, and parts of the frontage are still in storage.
• Rokin 145-147 (1641/43), restored in the 19th century
• Kloveniersburgwal 95 (het Poppenhuis, 1642)
• Huurhuizen van het Sint Pietersgasthuis, Rokin/Oude Turfmarkt (1643/45)
• Rokin 95 (1646)
• Kloveniersburgwal 77 (het Huis Bambeeck, 1650)
• Oudezijds Voorburgwal 316 (de Ladder Jacobs, 1655)
• Herengracht 364-370 (de Cromhouthuizen, 1660/62)
• Singel 460 (Neurenberg / Odeon, 1662)
• Herengracht 450 (Huis Deutz, 1663)
• Herengracht 386 (1663/65)
• Keizersgracht 577 (1664/65)
• Herengracht 412 (1664/67)
• Herengracht 466 (1669)
• Wevershuizen Noortsche Bos in de Weteringbuurt (1670/71)
• Schuilkerk Sint Johannes en Ursula, Begijnhof (1671/72)

Sources

• Bureau Monumentenzorg Amsterdam
• Koen Ottenheym, Philips Vingboons (1607-1678), architect, Zutphen, 1989, ISBN 9060116267
• Jacobine E. Huisken, Friso Lammertse, Het kunstbedrijf van de familie Vingboons. Schilders, architecten en kaartmakers in de gouden eeuw, Maarssen, 1989, ISBN 9061790735
• Jacqueline Heijenbrok, Guido Steenmeijer, Een stadswandeling langs de huizen van Philips en Justus Vingboons, Den Haag/Amsterdam, 1989, ISBN 9061790778