Visions of Arcadia: European Gardens from Renaissance to Rococo

European Gardens From Renaissance To Rococo

Serious gardening enthusiasts should delight in this accessible study of evolving garden design in Europe. From splendid examples of Italian Renaissance sites to baroque elements, such as mounts, which have all but vanished in the years since they first appeared, to the chinoiserie style associated with rococo, Woods delves into fascinating aspects of each era. Finely produced books such as this afford the opportunity to reproduce period paintings, archival drawings, and engravings of ancient garden plans, thus achieving rare glimpses of notable gardens that no longer exist, at least not in their original state. In recalling the excesses of powerful monarchs, the reader may feel compelled to make a pilgrimage to one of the public gardens mentioned, if only to stroll among memories of ostentatious pleasures long past. Alice Joyce