New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-17

accompany the Illustrations full page facsimiles
OF MI. Elgood's water colors This artist has
lot some years been devoting himself to the
coHmemoration of cd English gardens in
drawings which have won admiration for their
Veracity, sentiment and artistic quality. He
belongs most emphatcally to the British school
which is to say that he eschews the vivacous
and brilliant effects sought by most water color
lists outside of Holland. On the other hand he
has avoided the niggling style which has SO
often betrayed his countrymen and has prac-
tised rather close realism without any loss of
breadth. His color is in good taste and charm
ing. He is faithful to his facts and he makes
good pictures out Of them. One great merit of
the plates in this book is that they not only
clever, but sound in composition. Whether he
is dealing with stately terraces. with messy
walls, with straight clipped hedges with
masses of flowers. he leaves impression OF
good design. His flower studies capital full
of character and of dainty color. Above all,
Mr. Elgood gives the very essence of the
English garden.
II is an essence very different on the whole,
from that of the gardens with which Mrs. Wnar-
ton deals. Formally is there. but it has sur
fered a change in the transition from The
South to the heavier temperature of the British
Islands. Miss Jekyll speaks in one of her notes
of the old Italian tradition being modified by
gradual and insensible evolution into what has
become English style" The point is well
taken. Italian garden craft" says Mrs. Whar-
ton. lis Independent of Horticulture" English
garden craft could scarcely exist without 1t.
Of course, the strictly formal scheme has its
place and a very important one, in England.
Brockenhurst, for example, the first estate i'll
Illustrated and described In this book, is al
most without flowers. SO important and satisfy
ing are it's permanent forms of living green
walls, with their own proper enrichment of bail
and spire, bracket and buttress, and so fine Is
the design of the actual masonry and sculpture
But II is. nevertheless, 8 a paradise of floral
loneliness that nearly every one Of the gardens
in which Mr. Elgood has made these water COL
is to be visited
From Brockenhurst pass to Blyborougn
and there the glory OF the garden as the artist
shows It to us is in the hoIyhocks blooming be-
meath the old brick wall. The persola at Great
langley Manor is covered with roses. and the
path by which 1t is approached has on ethel
side masses of Michaelmas daisies, French mari
Colds, Japan anemones. and so on. The statue
If Apollo at BaIcaskie is reared above garden
full Of roses the turrets of Crathes are seen
across a tangle of old fashioned blooms: Kellie
Castle looms in its gray strength above simild1
| profession of colors: and at Montacute the time
worn stones OF the balustrade and its obelisks
| make a background for Haunting sunfiowers
| Orange lilies and monkshood bring brilliant
note into Mr.. Elgood's picture OF the molly
| hedge at Ramscliffe- We might go on In
| definitely, citing his examples of the way In
| which the English make their gardens glow.
| We might quote passage after passage from
| NJ SIS Jekyll, whose textual accompaniment to
| the pictures has plainly been a labor of love
| II is sufficient to say that this handsomely
| printed folio is quite the most sunptuous work
1 that has thus far appeared on the English gar
cen, a work of art fairly brea thing the fra
| GRANGE of the beautiful scenes it celebrates.