Unveiled Secrets, Gossip, and Allegations That Make the English Landscape Gardens More Captivating Than EVER Thought Possible
The year 2024 has seen a surge of interest in the intricate world of the 18th-century English Landscape Garden, as highlighted in Tim Richardson's recent publication, The English Landscape Garden: Dreaming of Arcadia. Published by Frances Lincoln and retailing at £40, this large-format book offers a comprehensive exploration of the subject matter, making it a welcome addition to any garden history library.
Richardson's work takes readers on a tour of 20 of the finest surviving examples of 18th-century landscape gardens, including Stowe, Chiswick House, Petworth, Wrest Park, Rousham, Castle Hill, St Paul's Walden Bury, Blenheim Palace, and Stourhead.
At Blenheim Palace, named after the 1704 Battle of Blenheim, the original intention of the architect Sir John Vanbrugh was to evoke the plan of the battlefield. Meanwhile, Hawkstone Park, designed to elicit a thrill of fear in visitors as they traverse rocky precipices and encounter live hermits, is described as one of the highlights of the book.
Richardson considers Studley Royal as the most transcendentally beautiful landscape garden of all, conjuring a vision of Arcadia or the Elysian fields. John Aislabie, who sought refuge after being accused of financial misdemeanors, created Studley Royal, a dreamy and immaculate valley garden, with a view of Cistercian abbey ruins.
West Wycombe Park, created by Sir Francis Dashwood, is appreciated by Richardson as a riposte to the hypocrisy and self-aggrandizement of the time. In contrast to the received perception of Stourhead as a "landscape of loss", the author sees it as a joyous landscape. Interestingly, he disputes the notion that Stourhead is a narrative from landscape artist Claude's oil painting of Aeneas at Delos, as the painting was not available to view when Henry Hoare was creating Stourhead.
The book also covers the Picturesque Hs (Hackfall, Hawkstone, and Hafod), describing Hawkstone Park as designed to elicit a thrill of fear in visitors. At Painshill Park, one of the exemplars in Richardson’s work, the landscape architect Charles Hamilton strategically planted shrubs and trees not only to frame views and screen undesired sights but also to create a sense of journey through the garden by guiding footpaths on circuitous routes, thus heightening the visitor’s experience of the designed landscape.
Recent insights on the 18th-century English Landscape Garden, as discussed in Richardson’s work, emphasize the intricate design techniques and planting choices that created an idealized Arcadian vision. Early importations of Azaleas and Rhododendrons to England are also noted.
The study of prints about landscape gardens, a subject explored in a 2024 work by Michael Symes, provides a new dimension to understanding how 18th-century gardens were perceived and how their images were communicated and idealized in mass media of the day. Prints both reflected and shaped contemporary taste and could present an idealized version of reality, thus contributing to the aura and mythology of the English Landscape Garden. This form of visual propaganda or promotion has not been rigorously studied before in garden history literature.
The author of this insightful work, Stephen Parker, is a garden historian, lecturer, author, and design curator. The book is not mentioned to have any connection with the earlier-stated ISBN or price. The ISBN for the book is 978-0711290921. The book has rekindled the reviewer's imagination, interest, and passion for the gardens of the 18th century.
Richardson's book, The English Landscape Garden: Dreaming of Arcadia, offers more than just a tour of 18th-century landscape gardens; it delves into the intricate design techniques and planting choices that created an idealized Arcadian vision. Moreover, readers can appreciate the lifestyle portrayed in these gardens by understanding how they were perceived and idealized in mass media through prints, as discussed in Michael Symes' 2024 work. Finally, for those eager to expand their home-and-garden library, this large-format book is an essential addition, retailing at £40.
