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Capability Brown: and His Landscape Gardens
One of the most remarkable men of the 18th century, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown was known to many as ‘The Omnipotent Magician’ who could transform unpromising countryside into beautiful parks that seemed to be only the work of nature.
His list of clients included half the House of Lords, six Prime Ministers and even royalty. Although his fame has dimmed, we still enjoy many of his works today at National Trust properties such as Croome Park, Petworth, Berrington, Stowe, Wimpole, Blenheim Palace, Highclere Castle (location of the ITV series Downton Abbey) and many more.
In Capability Brown, author and garden historian Sarah Rutherford tells his triumphant story, uncovers his aims and reveals why he was so successful. Illustrated throughout with colour photographs of contemporary sites, historical paintings and garden plans, this is an accessible book for anyone who wants to know more about the man who changed the face of the nation and created a landscape style which for many of us defines the English countryside.
His list of clients included half the House of Lords, six Prime Ministers and even royalty. Although his fame has dimmed, we still enjoy many of his works today at National Trust properties such as Croome Park, Petworth, Berrington, Stowe, Wimpole, Blenheim Palace, Highclere Castle (location of the ITV series Downton Abbey) and many more.
In Capability Brown, author and garden historian Sarah Rutherford tells his triumphant story, uncovers his aims and reveals why he was so successful. Illustrated throughout with colour photographs of contemporary sites, historical paintings and garden plans, this is an accessible book for anyone who wants to know more about the man who changed the face of the nation and created a landscape style which for many of us defines the English countryside.
347 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2016
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37 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Rutherford
25 books7 followersThere is more than one Sarah Rutherford in the Goodreads catalog. This entry is for Sarah^Rutherford, conservation expert.
Sarah Rutherford is an expert in the conservation of historic parks and gardens. She was head of the English Heritage Historic Parks and Gardens Register and is now a freelance consultant, creating conservation plans.
Sarah Rutherford is an expert in the conservation of historic parks and gardens. She was head of the English Heritage Historic Parks and Gardens Register and is now a freelance consultant, creating conservation plans.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 20, 2016
An informative and beautifully illustrated study of the amazing landscape work of Capability Brown, three hundred years ago. One of his many masterpieces is Highclere Castle, where 'Downton Abbey' was filmed. The book provides a thorough review of Brown's life and times, as well as the various features he invented or incorporated in the creation of his sweeping vistas. It also provides a list of sites that are available for visits -- time to call the travel agent!
September 8, 2020
2020-08 – Capability Brown and His Landscape Gardens. Sarah Rutherford (Author) 2016. 192 Pages.
Nicholle is in a class on the archaeology of gardens at the Penn Museum which got me curious if our local library system had any books on “Capability” Brown … the preeminent British Landscape Architect. I love a landscape garden. I am not such a fan of formal gardens. This book was done under the auspices of the National Trust … so it is a quasi-official book. It is the only book on the subject in our library system. The book looks at the man, his career, his clients, his competitors, and his legacy. Throughout it uses sumptuous photographs of parks, gardens, and estates he worked on to emphasize the idea in the text. This book also has lots of wonderful references for further study of aspects or generalities that you found interesting (I already availed myself of one of these!) Whether you read this book (you should) or not …all of us should be familiar with the work and traditions of Capability Brown. All of us should find a landscape to walk through, study or enjoy. It is one of the joys of sauntering through Winterthur in Delaware … it very much was constructed with the ethos of Capability Brown. If you are a fan of Jane Austen novels or other English literature from the mid-18th to the early 19th century or paintings from England in that era you should read this book and familiarize yourself with the work of Capability Brown because it provides the backdrop, context and orientation for much of those books and pieces of art. This book is a very good introduction to all of that.
Nicholle is in a class on the archaeology of gardens at the Penn Museum which got me curious if our local library system had any books on “Capability” Brown … the preeminent British Landscape Architect. I love a landscape garden. I am not such a fan of formal gardens. This book was done under the auspices of the National Trust … so it is a quasi-official book. It is the only book on the subject in our library system. The book looks at the man, his career, his clients, his competitors, and his legacy. Throughout it uses sumptuous photographs of parks, gardens, and estates he worked on to emphasize the idea in the text. This book also has lots of wonderful references for further study of aspects or generalities that you found interesting (I already availed myself of one of these!) Whether you read this book (you should) or not …all of us should be familiar with the work and traditions of Capability Brown. All of us should find a landscape to walk through, study or enjoy. It is one of the joys of sauntering through Winterthur in Delaware … it very much was constructed with the ethos of Capability Brown. If you are a fan of Jane Austen novels or other English literature from the mid-18th to the early 19th century or paintings from England in that era you should read this book and familiarize yourself with the work of Capability Brown because it provides the backdrop, context and orientation for much of those books and pieces of art. This book is a very good introduction to all of that.
February 12, 2017
It's difficult to understand the impact Capability Brown has had on the British (but mainly English) landscape. In the eighteenth century it was his designs that changed the formal gardens of our large houses and palaces into sweeping, more natural landscapes. Indeed, it is the view that his work is so natural that you don't realise he has done anything that shows the impact he had. Aristocratic pursuits of hunting, riding and rearing livestock are enabled in his designs, yet his careful positioning of structures and clumps of trees shows his eye for views and showing off a house and its estate in full. Along with his trademark serpentine lakes the influence can be seen in many surviving parks, even those designed after his lifetime.
This National Trust book is a coffee table item. It has glorious illustrations on almost every page and is on very high quality paper. The blurb describes it as 'accessible' and this is a fair comment. It is an overview of Brown's life and works and not a detailed synopsis of the man, his works or the properties where the work can be seen.
Those seeking an academic work will be disappointed at the lack of footnotes, references or bibliography although there is a short list of suggested reading and an index. The gardens and houses are not covered in any detail and certainly not given any historical context but then that is not the point of the book.
As a short read it's biggest annoyance is in the way it jumps from property to property within each chapter. I found it difficult to recall specifics about certain estates from earlier chapters. Stowe, for example, has over 30 index references from the start to the end but no work has more than 2 consecutive pages devoted to it. A whole chapter is given to Brown's contemporaries and rivals which is of little interest - I'd have preferred more detail on his life or methods.
The real enjoyment of the book is in the photography. In particular, the aerial photos show the details and genius of Brown's works. It is for these that the book will be picked up and browsed.
This National Trust book is a coffee table item. It has glorious illustrations on almost every page and is on very high quality paper. The blurb describes it as 'accessible' and this is a fair comment. It is an overview of Brown's life and works and not a detailed synopsis of the man, his works or the properties where the work can be seen.
Those seeking an academic work will be disappointed at the lack of footnotes, references or bibliography although there is a short list of suggested reading and an index. The gardens and houses are not covered in any detail and certainly not given any historical context but then that is not the point of the book.
As a short read it's biggest annoyance is in the way it jumps from property to property within each chapter. I found it difficult to recall specifics about certain estates from earlier chapters. Stowe, for example, has over 30 index references from the start to the end but no work has more than 2 consecutive pages devoted to it. A whole chapter is given to Brown's contemporaries and rivals which is of little interest - I'd have preferred more detail on his life or methods.
The real enjoyment of the book is in the photography. In particular, the aerial photos show the details and genius of Brown's works. It is for these that the book will be picked up and browsed.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews