Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 11.djvu/818

* LANDSCAPE. 742 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. countries (Zorn), Russia, Scotland (Glasgow), and in Holland (Jongkind, Alesdag, the broth- ers Maris). The native American school of landscape in the tirst half of the nineteenth century (see Hldson Kiver School), though distinctly na- tional in character, made no real contiibutions to the development of landscape art. In George Inness (died 18iU) America possessed an artist of jjreat ])(iver and originality. He was some- wluit iulluenced by the school of Barbizon, one of the two most potent influences in American landscape art, the other being Impressionism. Homer JIartin. Tryoii. Horatio Walker, Weir, Twachtman, and Theodore Robinson are a few among many representatives of ability. Consult: Woermann, Die hdiulsvliaft in der Kunst dcr alien Volkcr (Munich, 1876) ; Michel, Dit paysaqe et du sentiment de la niilurc a notre {•jKKjuc (Nancy, 1876); Gilbert, Landscape in Art Before the Dat)s of Claude ami Halnator (London, 18S.5) ; Hanierton, landscape, leith Orif/inal Etchinijx and Illustrations from Pictures and Drairinys (London, 188S) : Kiimmerer, "Die Landschaft in der deutschen Kunst," in Bcitriirjen £ur Kitnstpeschiehte (Leipzig, 1886): Von Lich- tenberg, "Zur Entwicklungsgeschichte der Land- schaft bci den Niederliindern und Deutschen im 16. .Iiihrhundert" ( ib., 1892) : Zinnnernuinn. "Die Landschaft in der venezianischen Malcrei bis zum Tode Tizians" (ib., ISIKJ) : Kall.ib, "Die toscanische Landschaft im 14. und 1.5. .Talirhun- dert," in Jahrbuch der Kunst samnilungen des allerhochsten Eaiserhausen (Vienna. 1900) : Rus- kin. Lectures on Landscape (London, 1897); Leitsehuh. Das Wesen der modernen Landschaft (Strassburg, 1898). LANDSCAPE GARDENING. The art of arranging trees, shrubs, flowers, and grass, drives and walks, and buildings, in such relation to the natural surroundings of a ])liice and to one an- other as to produce pleasing clTects. The an- cients practiced it. bit very little is known about the styles in vogue among the different peoples. From the early times of the Christian Era to the thirteenth century the art was mainly practiced in the adornment of walled gar- dens of no great size, connected with castle or convent : this because of the insecure state of the open country. Then for several centuries it received special attention from the nobility, espe- cially in Italy: and then by the popes in their great villas : later by Louis XIV. at Versailles, and in some most magnificent parks around royal castles. To-day it is chiefly employed in adorn- ing the parks and cemeteries of cities and the quiet surroundings of individual homes. At the present time landscape gardening is represented by two very distinct systems or styles, the one known as the geometric or formal style, in which regul.Tr forms and exact balance of part with part prevail, and the other opposed to this, with an entire absence of fixed patterns, known as the English or natural style. The English style, which is comparatively recent, received its name on the Continent of Europe from the fact that it is the popular system of landscape gardening in Great Britain, this resulting from the common reservation there of great open parks, with an- cient trees and sheep or deer, the whole left in almost complete wildness. The geometric style dates back to the Romans, and evidences of it still exist in Rome in connection with ancient villas. In general, historical data show that in early times the style of landscape gardening was formal, the llower-beds and trees, the alley.s and avenues, forming regular geometrical lines and figures. Tlius when jileasure grounds were first laid out they exhibited only geometrical tonus, with liuildings of various kinds, terraces, mounds, artificial hills, lakes, and streams. The hedges, trees, and shrubs were clippeil ;ind pruned, and sometimes trimmed into fantastic shajx's, such as figures of animals, vases, and the like. This inetluid of trimming, when car- ried so far as to give definite shajje to trees, is now rarely practiced. It was called topiarian art, and the artist was known as the topiarius. From tlie time of Charlemagne to the seven- teenth century many beautiful parks, all on the formal plan, were laid out in France, but at the close of that period the celebrated French landscape gardener Lenotre began the development of what has been called of late the French style. The plan of this system was still geometric, and dill'ercd mainly in its ajiplication on a larger scale instead of the minuter <Ietail so common in the older gardens. Tills stvle ada))ts itself admirably to palaces and large public buildings. The park at Versailles, in France, is a model of this system and a stand- ing monument to Lcnotre. During the second half of the nineteenth cen- tury the natural style had almost entirely sup- planted the regular or formal in park construc- tion and other phases of landscape architecture. In this system the rigorously straight lines and patterned figures are abandoned. The walks are winding and irregular, and the trees or groups of trees, shrulis, and flowers are scattered in imi- tation of natural scenes. Here graceful effects arc intended to replace the often .stiff regularity of the geometric arrangement. This style also is api)licable to small as well as to hirge groiuids. Around residences which have but small grounds it is used in hiding buildings, walls, etc., by massing the trees and shrubs, but leaving such breaks in the planting as to enable the passer-by to see the open greensward, which occupies the entire middle portion of the yard. The trees are also arranged with icgard to the views from the windows beyond the premises. It is easier, how- ever, to obtain harmony on a large space, and it is under such circumstances that the natural style appears in all its beauty. The vistas, walks, and roadways are all important, and re- quire careful consideration. The walks and drives are generally not supposed to be decora- tive, and are made as little apparent as pos- sible. The branching of the roads and walks follows graceful curves, ■the right angle being always avoided. On small grounds the walk usually surrounds a central open grass-plat, with the trees and shrubs on the other side massed into a framework to complete the pic- ture. If walks are laid across the lawn, how- ever, they are laid sometimes below the level of the grass surface, in order to hide them as much as possible. The use of flowering plants in con- nection with this style is confined to natural grouping of different combinations, according to the effects desired. The groups located at a dis- tance from the principal points often form large masses of a single bright color, while those near- er by represent a mixture of harmonious shades. In all instances the plants are selected with ref-