The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-30
RISE OF LANDSCAPE ART.
TT rs. NOW A RECOGNIZED PART or
GOOD ARCHITEOTURE

GOOD ARCHITEOTURE
The Surrounding Are ~ Much . Part OF =
Building as n Building Ia Part 81 Its
Surroundings - Well = Equipped Arch-
hteets Now Studying Land soape Art,
In the old days. when n man wanted a coun-
try house he hired an architect. told him how
many rooms he wanted and how much money
he was willing to spend. aud the architect
drew up the plans. After the house was built
tho GROUNDS we're beautlfed according to the
owners individual taste. and the result gen-
orally was enough to make a lover OF the fit
ness OF things tear his hair and lament loudly.
The system, or lack OF system. still prevails.
but a change Is going on. and new theories
are widening their influence each year. Many
architects. sufficiently successful to be inde-
pendent. and sufficiently conscientious to be
true to their ideals, refuse nowadays TO under
take the plans OF a country house unless they
also have control of the landscape work upon
tho grounds. They assert that the landscape
is a part of the house. us the house IL OF the
landscape. The style OF architecture for the
house must be chosen with a view to the natu-
raj setting OF the grounds. but after that lsdone
the artificial effects in the grounds must be
made to sustain and perfect the lines and
scheme OF the house. The two must make one
perfect whole. and for that reason both should
| grow together in the architects brain.
| e. 1ue NlSbtS soch NtEiOuS parts VI ~
house. the views OF a house gained from diff
ferent points of approach. are as much a part
OF architecture as the arrangement Of bath
| rooms and the thickness Of studding. A wind
ing approach to a house in which straight
| lines and formal severity prevail will reduce
the Landscape architect to nervous prostra-
ton, though In more remote parts OF the
grounds. where no architectural responsibility
| rests upon the landscape, he may encourage
4 q 1obpeipth ~ rrindipy rotba and ARRIVING
drives. He will tell one that there are two
kinds Of landscape treatment. the architectural
| and the naturalistic. and that ench1s right, in
its proper place, and he will probably draw
his illustrations from Paris. There may be
doubt as to whether all good Americans.
when they die. go to Paris; but. surely, all
good architects, when they die. 20 to Paris.
Most OF them go there. even before they are
good. for the Beaux Arts il the Mecca for all
aspiring students of architecture.
Alofnew Paris Is architectural In the finest
sense, landscape art and architecture canter.
hand I'm hand. down the Champs Elysees andthe
Avenue de rObservatoire. and1ounge together
in the Place de Ia Concorde and the Luxembourg
Gardens. In Paris. when, a new street must
architects are called into consultation. They
figure ard plan and discuss vistas and effects
other, but to beautify, the CIV: Over 6eTe the
city fathers have such matters in charge and
The Champs. EysGes. sweeping superbly
eroWine its summit It and with It's sr source In the
Place de la Concorde. is a magnificent exam
Sfs g. Tna' i G@r leapss@9De f Rfeh Befs G de Bo sf-
logne. with its thick wood and winding paths
is another thin9-charming but less diflcult
OF accomplishment-for the Landscape gar
dener may perfect naturalistic landscape, but
the architect is essential to the architectural
Europe has long recognized the necessity Of
%tectu Mr The PheT men Who PLANNED the Beautiful
old Italian villas planned the gardens and ter
races whl y were r. q 70 10 De sd their IS Se tbn 6Sd a aSfa tas
of France and England,
Land s S;ar9givat art is IA a Development : %Sa6I1n sTt;s 81 an ad-
and it is encouraging to find even the dawn 9f
Il in America to-day; The movement is well
brains of those few architects whose influence
il far.resehing; and a proper appreciation Of
scape viii do more toward beaufiiYinG the
country than. any other element Of art prog
closely. The projectors Of the California Uni-
ton for Complete surface plans Of buildings
The setting Of the buildings and their re!a-
tion to the grounds WA, the first vital point
architects were consulted in the matter. Carte
blanche was given the managers in regard to
consulted and the decision was finally reached
in Belgium. All of the successful competi-
tors had. studied in the Beaux Arts. where
landscape art is taught as an essential ele-
ment Of architecture.
This is the first great instance in America
OF q proper appreciation OF the importance OF
the Landscape as q vital and inseparable part
of an architectural scheme. but, when public
taste has developed further. America will car
ry out landscape and architectural ideas with
magnificent lavishness Of eSpendituye: Nat
tates OF the cultured few. but public enter
ton even for cities. Already now small parks
are showing more pretensions to artistic beau
" and intelligent treatment than old parks:
Many Of the foreign schools OF landscape
gardening devote. their attention chiefly 20
gardening in its natural sense-plantinG. treat
ment Of flowers and trees. &c.-and, the men
trained In these schools are most valuable in
the detail work of landscape art, but for a
landscape artist OF the highest type a thorough
knowledge OF architecture 10 essential.
The Retier has attracted many women.
since women have been entering all art fields.
and several young American women are fairly
successful In the profession. but, being barred
dicapped; and are obliged to do their STUDYING
II private atelier1. As 2 result. ~ is with
are experimenting with Landscape. art, They
do some charming work, nice In feeling and
sentiment. but they lack the thorough under
standing and grasp, OF their subject which are
necessary 20 Intelligent handling Of, prob
lems OF architectural landscape. and their
work Is. so far. amateurish. However we are
only at the beginning OF the art.