The Architecture of Western Gardens: A Design History from the Renaissance to the Present Day
Could it be that the expulsion from the Garden of Eden left humankind eternally searching to re-create the lost place? In these 70 essays the learned authors seek to identify and explain this quest from the Renaissance to the present: to define and explore the relationship of nature and society, culture and creativity, labor and diversion within the framework of garden design and use. Chronologically ordered, the detailed sections offer a historical perspective followed by specific examples of gardens as a reflection of society, either as images of its tastes or visions of its aspirations. The illustrations, including many archival drawings, provide access to the precision of garden planning as well as a glimpse of actual gardens. There are short bibliographies after each essay, but no overall reference guide; the diversity of theme may make this impossible. Expensive (and heavy) but well worth both burdens, this is a major resource in the field.- Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New YorkCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.