Description
Book SynopsisPublished in 1774, Essay on Gardens is one of the earliest texts showing the progressive shift in French taste from the classical model of the gardens at Versailles to the picturesque or natural style of garden design in the late eighteenth century.
Trade Review"Given the importance of Claude-Henri Watelet's
Essai sur les jardins (12774) to the history of garden design in France, it seems remarkable that it has only recently been translated into English. . . . This is a translation one can trust and a model for future work; as such, its value cannot be overestimated. . . . This edition of the
Essai includes an informative introduction by Joseph Disponzio, an authority on French landscape architecture." *
Studies in the History of Gardens and Designed Landscapes *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Essay on Gardens
Foreword
On Gardens
Utilitarian Establishments
The Embellished Farm
Early Parks
Modern Parks
The Nature of the Terrain
Orientation
Trees
Water
Space
Flowers
Rocks and Grottoes
Garden Styles
The Poetic Style
The Romantic Style
Pleasure Gardens
The Chinese Garden
The French Garden—Letter to a Friend
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgments
