The English Garden
A Journey through its History
Published on 28. March 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
154 pages
978-1-914982-09-5 (ISBN)
Description
Garden design in England was entirely reinvented during the eighteenth century. The symmetrical gardens of the French Baroque were replaced by artificial landscapes almost indistinguishable from natural scenery, and this image conceived by English landscape gardeners continues to govern modern ideas of natural beauty.
Hans von Trotha's journey through the history of the English garden introduces twelve of the most important, original, and beautiful parks in Britain. On the way, he explains how the new landscape garden was born of the spirit of political opposition, explores the significance of imitation Greek temples and Gothic ruins, and muses on the relevance of eighteenth-century ideas to our appreciation of landscape today.
Hans von Trotha's journey through the history of the English garden introduces twelve of the most important, original, and beautiful parks in Britain. On the way, he explains how the new landscape garden was born of the spirit of political opposition, explores the significance of imitation Greek temples and Gothic ruins, and muses on the relevance of eighteenth-century ideas to our appreciation of landscape today.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Haus Publishing
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
39 black and white illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 131 mm
Width: 198 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
150 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-914982-09-5 (9781914982095)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Hans von Trotha is a German historian, novelist and journalist who spent ten years as editorial director of the Nicolai publishing house in Berlin. He is regarded as a specialist in the landscape gardens of the eighteenth century. Since then, he has worked independently as a curator, publicist, and consultant in the field of culture, including as a freelance journalist for Deutschlandfunk Kultur. In 2020-2021, he was a curator of the Moosbrand Music and Literature Festival of the Nantesbuch Foundation. His books, The English Garden and Pollak's Arm have been translated into English.
Content
The English Garden Tour // 1
Palladian Revival, or the germ cell CHISWICK HOUSE, LONDON // 17
Gothic Revival, or the house of the book STRAWBERRY HILL, TWICKENHAM // 31
Grand Tour in miniature, or the serpentine and haha surprises ROUSHAM HOUSE, OXFORDSHIRE // 41
Aeneas Wiltshire, or 'Et in Arcadia ego' STOURHEAD, WILTSHIRE // 49
Palladio four times over and a trip across the Styx, or the triumph of the Dilettanti WEST WYCOMBE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE // 59
The attractions of space, or how a village street became a terrace CASTLE HOWARD, YORKSHIRE // 71
Garden and landscape, or how to approach a ruin STUDLEY ROYAL, YORKSHIRE // 83
When pictures learnt to walk, or a short history of the terrace DUNCOMBE AND RIEVAULX TERRACE, YORKSHIRE // 91
A steady foot and a steady head, or excursion to the Alps and Tahiti HAWKSTONE PARK, SHROPSHIRE // 99
Freedom, Elysium and satire, or 'the best ideas of Paradise that can be' STOWE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE // 107
The riverless bridge, or a contest between gigantomaniacs BLENHEIM, OXFORDSHIRE // 121
Lady Nature's second husband, or a walk into infinity PETWORTH, SUSSEX // 133
Other landscape gardens in England // 141
Some English gardens in Germany // 143
Bibliography // 149
Palladian Revival, or the germ cell CHISWICK HOUSE, LONDON // 17
Gothic Revival, or the house of the book STRAWBERRY HILL, TWICKENHAM // 31
Grand Tour in miniature, or the serpentine and haha surprises ROUSHAM HOUSE, OXFORDSHIRE // 41
Aeneas Wiltshire, or 'Et in Arcadia ego' STOURHEAD, WILTSHIRE // 49
Palladio four times over and a trip across the Styx, or the triumph of the Dilettanti WEST WYCOMBE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE // 59
The attractions of space, or how a village street became a terrace CASTLE HOWARD, YORKSHIRE // 71
Garden and landscape, or how to approach a ruin STUDLEY ROYAL, YORKSHIRE // 83
When pictures learnt to walk, or a short history of the terrace DUNCOMBE AND RIEVAULX TERRACE, YORKSHIRE // 91
A steady foot and a steady head, or excursion to the Alps and Tahiti HAWKSTONE PARK, SHROPSHIRE // 99
Freedom, Elysium and satire, or 'the best ideas of Paradise that can be' STOWE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE // 107
The riverless bridge, or a contest between gigantomaniacs BLENHEIM, OXFORDSHIRE // 121
Lady Nature's second husband, or a walk into infinity PETWORTH, SUSSEX // 133
Other landscape gardens in England // 141
Some English gardens in Germany // 143
Bibliography // 149