‘aren’t we all excited when we can begin a new journey?’ D.F. Slothouwer and his Prix de Rome journey

Abstract

In 1905, Dirk Frederik Slothouwer, who was born in the Dutch East Indies, graduated from the Delft Polytechnic School and in 1926 he was appointed full professor there. Today, he is perhaps still known as the writer of various books on the history of architecture. Besides his book about the palaces of Frederik Hendrik, his study of Dutch Renaissance in Denmark is especially noteworthy. With this study he obtained his doctorate in Delft in 1924, making him the first construction engineer to earn that title. His dissertation was mainly the result of literature study and of several journeys Slothouwer undertook to the Scandinavian country. Already in 1906, Slothouwer had taken part in the Prix de Rome competition. There were three candidates and eventually J.M. van der Mey took first prize.

Three years later, Slothouwer entered the competition again. This time he was the only competitor, affected was interpreted by many as an unambiguous sign that interest in taking part in the competition was waning. Nevertheless, the jury was of the opinion that the work he had submitted and realized met their expectations and he was awarded a sum of money that enabled him to travel through Europe for three years. He did have to report regularly and have his drawings judged by the director of the Dutch National Academy of Fine Arts. These drawings and measurements were presented to a wider audience in exhibitions. Slothouwer use these opportunities to make a name for himself. The finest drawings were displayed, accompanied by short explanatory texts. He also regularly published articles about his experiences in various trade journals.

Thanks to documentation and a great number of drawings that were recently given on loan to the Faculty of Architecture of the Technical University Delft by his granddaughter, it is now possible to make a detailed reconstruction of the journeys that Slothouwer made to some of the farthest corners of the European continent and establish a relation between the journeys and the architectural school he championed. The drawings also offer an opportunity to reflect on the importance of travel sketches and to ask ourselves what role historic examples play in determining one’s own position within the world of architecture. In his sketches Slothouwer demonstrates a clear preference for historic monuments. There are hardly any drawings of modern architecture.

From his reports, however, it is clear that he was in contact with many prominent architects in Germany and was fully informed about the most recent developments, although the architecture of the members of the German Werkbund did not appeal to him. Slothouwer’s preference clearly lay with the architecture of the Scandinavian countries as he recognized in it certain characteristics that allowed him to draw parallels with the architecture of his own country. Especially the way in which the tradition was carried on there while at the same time demonstrating classical concept of beauty, very much appealed to him. He was not so much looking for purity as for an amalgamation of various opposite architectural schools into a harmonic whole. To this end he looked to the south, to Italy, on the one hand and to the Norse, the Scandinavian countries, on the other hand. His own position was right in the middle between both fronts.