This essay draws a brief sketch of the three main styles that influenced English gardeners in the course of the 17th century, the Italian Renaissance and Mannerism, the French Baroque and the Dutch style, describing their features, how they came to England and in which way they were applied there. Furthermore the question of how garden design was influenced by political circumstances shall be discussed briefly.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Foreign Influences on English Gardening Styles throughout the 17th Century
2.1 Italian influence (Renaissance/Mannerist style)
2.2 French influence (the Baroque garden)
2.3 Dutch influence
3 Conclusion
4 Appendix: Illustrations of 17th Century Gardens in Italy, France, The Netherlands and England
4.1 Mannerism
4.2 French style
4.3 Dutch style
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This study aims to examine the development of English garden design during the 17th century, focusing on how foreign influences from Italy, France, and the Netherlands shaped British landscaping traditions. It seeks to answer how these diverse styles were adapted to the English context, influenced by both personal tastes of the monarchy and shifting political circumstances.
- The evolution of the Italian Renaissance and Mannerist garden styles in England.
- The impact of French Baroque absolutism on garden aesthetics and design.
- The role of Dutch influence, particularly under William and Mary, in promoting domestic garden design.
- The interplay between political stability, religion, and the transition toward a uniquely English style.
- The socio-political origins of the eventually emerging "English garden" landscape.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2 French Influences (The Baroque Garden)
It should not be a surprise that the Baroque style, developed in the second half of the 17th century and soon influencing gardens all over Europe, was “born” in France. The Baroque garden did not only show off the wealth, splendour, and magnificence of the noble world but also stood as a symbol for the absolute power in which monarchs believed at this time (Streminger 2005:2) – and who represented absolutism better than Louis XIV, King of France?
The man who helped to express these ideas was the gardener ANDRÉ LE NÔTRE (1613-1700) who first showed his skill at Vaux-le-Vicomte, property of Louis XIV’s minister of finances, Nicholas Fouquet. There LE NÔTRE created, together with CHARLES LE BRUN and LOUIS LE VAU, “probably the masterpiece of French classic garden art” (Jellicoe 1986:202). When Louis XIV saw the gardens, he had Fouquet arrested (allegedly because of fraud, but more likely because of lèse-majesté), took parts of Vaux’ statuary to his own gardens at Versailles and engaged LE NÔTRE as head gardener (Enge 1990:100).
The gardens LE NÔTRE created at Versailles between 1662 and 1680 with their symmetrical system of axes, making the palace its center, and the “canals, bosquets, fountains, pavilions and parterres stretch[ing] out for miles from the palace [...]” (Quest-Ritson 2001:80) impressed every visitor. The fame of LE NÔTRE and the French style started to spread around Europe and gardeners, architects, painters and noblemen went to Versailles to look at the magnificent gardens and to “express their amazement” (Thacker 1994 :139). Versailles became a model for the formal garden everywhere in Europe (Uerscheln 2006:129).
Chapter Summaries
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the historical context of the "English garden," noting the scarcity of original 17th-century sites and defining the essay's focus on Italian, French, and Dutch stylistic influences.
2 Foreign Influences on English Gardening Styles throughout the 17th Century: This section provides a detailed analysis of how foreign gardening trends, specifically Mannerism, Baroque, and Dutch design, were imported and modified in England.
2.1 Italian influence (Renaissance/Mannerist style): Examines the introduction of Mannerist garden design in England through figures like Salomon de Caus and the influence of classical architecture and hydraulic elements.
2.2 French influence (the Baroque garden): Discusses the rise of the French Baroque style under Le Nôtre, its association with absolute monarchy, and its subsequent influence on English gardening post-Restoration.
2.3 Dutch influence: Explores the impact of William and Mary’s reign on garden design, highlighting the integration of domesticity, Calvinist utility, and symmetry.
3 Conclusion: Summarizes the progression of garden design in England, noting the shift from artificial, formal European models toward the naturalistic aesthetics that would define the later English landscape movement.
4 Appendix: Illustrations of 17th Century Gardens in Italy, France, The Netherlands and England: A visual compendium providing historical context through engravings and paintings of key garden estates.
Keywords
17th Century, English Garden, Garden Design, Italian Renaissance, Mannerism, French Baroque, André Le Nôtre, Dutch Influence, William of Orange, Landscape Architecture, Horticulture, Garden History, Salomon de Caus, Royal Gardens, Garden Aesthetics
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the evolution of 17th-century English gardening, specifically analyzing how Italian, French, and Dutch influences transformed domestic garden styles during this period.
Which gardening styles are analyzed in the document?
The document covers the Italian Renaissance and Mannerist style, the French Baroque style, and the distinctive Dutch gardening approach.
What is the primary objective of the work?
The goal is to describe the features of these three foreign styles, explain how they reached England, and analyze how they were adapted by the British based on their specific cultural and political context.
Which research methodology is applied?
The author utilizes a historical, qualitative analysis of literature, garden plans, and contemporary documentation to trace the influence of European garden design on England.
What topics are discussed in the main body of the paper?
The main body examines the transition of garden design from early 17th-century courtly recreations to the influence of French absolutism and the eventual rise of more domestic Dutch preferences.
Which keywords define the research?
Key terms include 17th Century, Garden Design, Mannerism, French Baroque, Dutch Influence, and the history of the English landscape garden.
How did political changes in England affect garden design in the 17th century?
The paper argues that political events, such as the Civil War and the Glorious Revolution, directly shifted garden tastes. For example, the move toward Dutch styles was supported by the reign of the Protestant King William III, distancing English design from the "absolutist" connotations of French gardens.
What distinguishes the Dutch gardening style according to the text?
The Dutch style is characterized as more "self-contained," "introspective," and "domestic" compared to the grandiose and pompous French Baroque style, and it often integrated useful horticultural features due to Calvinist ethics.
What role did Salomon de Caus play in English garden history?
He was a key figure who brought Mannerist ideas from Italy to England, introducing monocular perspective, hydraulic automata, and aligned house-and-garden designs to royal estates.
- Quote paper
- Annerose Baumann (Author), 2006, The 17th Century Garden, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/165566
