The Artist and the Garden

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This beautifully crafted book presents a captivating collection of English gardens depicted by artists from 1540 to the early nineteenth century, many of which are previously unknown. Sir Roy Strong, an expert in both art and garden history, explores garden images ranging from Elizabethan miniatures to eighteenth-century conversation pieces, including paintings of individual gardens and amateur watercolors. He investigates the origins of the English garden picture genre, its evolution before photography, notable artists, its reliability as historical evidence, and its role within the broader European garden tradition. Strong notes that the English were initially slow to depict their gardens realistically; for much of the Stuart period, gardens served primarily as symbols. Over time, this shifted to a focus on accurately recording contemporary garden designs. By the Georgian era, gardens moved to the forefront of artistic representation, with families positioning themselves within their carefully crafted landscapes. The distinction between house and garden became pronounced, each deserving individual representation. By the nineteenth century, gardens began to be depicted independently, first as singular images and later in series. With around 350 annotated illustrations, this work offers a unique insight into three centuries of English gardens and their significance to their owners and artists.