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