Capability Brown

Overview

A comprehensive study of the great landscape architect, with 15 of his major works described in full and illustrated with original plans, 18th century pictures, and modern photos

Today he is credited with laying out every piece of parkland in Britain, while others accuse him of single-handedly sweeping away all the formal gardens that preceded the Landscape Movement. If he was indeed the greatest of all designers of man-made landscapes, how should we properly understand and appreciate his work and legacy? The author follows an introduction to the culture and society of 18th-century England by tracing the rise of the Landscape Movement. He then provides a carefully researched account of Lancelot Brown's humble origins and rising fortunes, his marriage and family, and the course of his career and mounting fame and recognition, culminating in his appointment as Master Gardener to George III. For those whose interests lie in understanding the history of gardening, landscape design, or 18th-century society there is much to be found here, but equally this book will sharpen the appreciation of Brown's work for all those who have visited his estates and enjoyed his enduring achievements.

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