The Gardens at ROUSHAM: Paintings by Francis Hamel

Rousham is one of England's most important gardens. It represents the first phase of English landscape design and remains almost as its designer William Kent left it, with many of its 18th century features left intact. Rousham's gardens enjoy an enormous following amongst top garden designers as well as garden lovers. It has become a place of pilgrimage for landscape architects and garden designers worldwide as well as garden lovers. Its magical glades and sculptural set-pieces have long intrigued Francis hamel, who has lived and worked there for 25 years. Since the beginning of 2020 he has composed an extraordinary collection of paintings that capture the garden and their magic.

Francis Hamel has lived as artist in residence at Rousham for 25 years. Trained at the Ruskin School of Art whilst at Magdalen College, Oxford, he has won international acclaim for his work. 18 months in lockdown has enabled Hamel to build up an in-depth collection of paintings of the astonishing landscape around him. Even though Rousham has always provided him with inspiration, this body of work is represented by over 80 paintings and drawings capturing details of the 17th century walled gardens with their espalier pear trees and box parterres, as well as the 18th century pleasure grounds designed by William Kent.