The Minds Behind the English Landscape Movement

For the three most influential designers and innovators of in the18th century English Landscape Movement - Charles Bridgeman, William Kent & ‘Capability’ Brown - write a brief paragraph to describe the style - form, layout, content, purpose - of their landscapes.

Charles Bridgeman was the man who introduced the concept and style of the English garden, which traditionally included winding pathways and an open landscape. However, because Charles was the earliest producer of the English garden landscape, he still made use of straight-lined paths and very tall, manicured shrubbery to be used as partitions. These baroque features were supplanted with large, informal groves and water features. Bridgeman was also first in using the ha-ha, which served to open the garden to the rest of the natural landscape while keeping out animals and marking the end of the garden.

Known as a "ha-ha" because of the laughter that inevitably followed when all your friends watched you fall in because you were so blinded by the beauty of the English Landscape Garden.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ha-ha#/media/File:Ha_ha_wall_diagram.jpg

William Kent was the equivalent of the post-grad frat boy, and when he wasn’t drinking he was gifted at laying out a natural-looking garden filled with symbolism and story-telling capability (on paper.) Otherwise he had limited knowledge of horticulture, but was known for including Roman-inspired buildings and structures in his garden to aid in his storytelling.

Mid hangover.

source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/William_Kent.jpg/220px-William_Kent.jpg

Capability Brown was perhaps the most well-known and revered garden landscape artist of the English Garden era. His landscapes mimic all the best parts of nature—rolling hills, deep groves, and idyllic water features were all constructed to create a decadent natural landscape that became known as the English Garden. Serpentine pathways were strategically laid out to help garden-goers experience the garden to the fullest and evoke different, but subtle emotions in the person experiencing the garden.

Nature, or the handiwork of Capability Brown? 

source: http://www.en.utexas.edu/Classes/Moore/neoclassical/images/gardens/small/STOURHEAD-232A.jpg

Versailles Gardens

 Without simply repeating the lecture notes explain why Versailles Palace and Gardens were built, and the role they played during the rule of King Louis XIV.

The palace and gardens of Versailles were built for the protection and maintenance of the ego of King Louis XIV. The Sun King, as he called himself, built the expansive Versailles palace and gardens outside of Paris mostly because the space was already there: Versailles was once home to a hunting lodge before rebuilt upon. King Louis XIV continued adding onto Versailles until it became two things: a symbol of his power and the seat of government in France.

            King Louis XIV was a huge proponent of the concept of divine right of kings, which was a philosophy that accredited the existence of the monarchy with instruction from God, thus serving to legitimize it. Considering himself an extremely grand king, he decided that he needed a palace and surrounding gardens to demonstrate this to the entirety of Europe. Louis XIV had also strong-armed France’s economy into an upswing and thus justified the building of Versailles. Cue the Hall of Mirrors, gilded everything and a garden so extensive that it took days to walk through from beginning to end.

Better bring a map with you.
source: http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/Images/110images/sl17_images/Versailles_aerial.jpg

            Not only did Versailles do a good job of demonstrating Louis’ grandeur as a king, but it served as the seat of government in France, taking the power out of Paris. This was strategic on Louis XIV’s part: his childhood came to an abrupt end during the Fronde, a period of unrest in which the nobility challenged the monarchy. Louis XIV intended to use Versailles as a centralized port of power in order to keep a close eye on his court and stave off unrest.

            During the long reign of Louis XIV, the gardens at Versailles were used primarily to keep the members of the court from going insane and keeping them entertained. For them the gardens functioned as a place for escapism and recreation. When important guests arrived, Louis XIV toured them through the gardens, specifically through areas with fountains. The Versailles gardens were venues for large events held by the King, with the gardens themselves serving as a reminder to the guests whose company they were in.

The Fountain of Apollo

source: https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/OkWaj8-zNeQY-OqU21xNE_YmEKe0A9X9xD0nbM-diBV9OjwxJYBTlG0XVoqv81-RbDr1Hi4sh3DN2aqx3BLd5McJxgA5Nc0o41RBFlyLAY1HR6VYnuo_1rfha4IgHLN92Q