Sir John Vanbrugh and Landscape Architecture in Baroque England, 1690-1730

"Today, Sir John Vanbrugh (1664-1726) is celebrated as one of England's finest country house architects." "But in addition to Vanbrugh's great houses, there is the remarkable variety of temples, belvederes, pyramids and other features he designed for the gardens and parks of the estates at which he worked. This book, by a group of experts on architectural history and garden design examines a neglected but important aspect of Vanbrugh's career." "The subjects explored in this book range from the pressing agricultural and financial issues that tested estate management, to the importance of the new, exotic plants that were reaching England from British America. Here is the full account of the years Vanbrugh spent in India, and an investigation into his influence and reputation from the 1720s to modern times. Both formal and fortified gardens are examined and illustrated, as are water gardens by Vanbrugh's friend and sometime collaborator, Stephen Switzer. The influence of contemporary playwrights and scholarly antiquaries is discussed in detail, as are epics such as travel, aesthetic theory and Palladian architectural innovation." "Including the fruits of new research, this book provi