From the sketchbook of G.M. Oppenord. (Getty Research Institute)

The sketchbook of G.M. Oppenord is offered by architect Joel Pidel, from his library. Joel throws it out for the pleasure of fellow TradArch list members, and someone ill prepared, as I am, to analyze the work between its covers wonders when these sketches were done, whether Oppenord was a student at the time, or an architect who collected bits and pieces from his career.

I flipped slowly through maybe the first 40 or 50 pages, at a loss how to choose from such delights which to place atop this blog. I finally chose one that wallowed in the baluster, perhaps my favorite typology of architectural embellishment. It was a tough choice and I had to fall back on prejudice and favoritism. And I’d do it again!

At last I espied a link that reads “Livre de fragments d’architectures recüeilis et dessinés à Rome d’après les plus beaux monuments.” Here I find answers. G.M. Oppenord is Giles-Marie Oppenord, 1672-1742. His sketchbook was published in 1720 by Gabriel Huquier of Paris and is composed of 14 parts spanning 192 pages. It is available courtesy of the Getty Research Institute.

Notwithstanding the link, I am still in the dark whether the drawings are from works of architecture in Rome or are works of his imagination inspired by the Roman monuments. Any reader may feel free to offer suggestions!

[His name, by the way, is widely and variously misspelled, with Oppenort appearing on his sketchbook, Oppenord on most online citations, and Oppenordt as another variant spelling, as Steven Semes points out in a comment below. Getty prefers Oppenord; Wikipedia prefers Oppenordt. I had it -ort and -art in my post. Tsk, tsk!]