Capability Brown

by Roger Turner

Fiction

Genres: History

Hardcover

First published April 1, 2014

Reviews

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This large-sized book -- half-way to coffee table size -- is a biography of Brown, the English garden movement, and the landscapes he crafted around so many great country houses in Great Britain. This edition includes revised the text and an updated "Gazetteer" that augments some interesting material about Brown's work on a property and its later state up to the author's time. I did not know much of Brown other than the name and the landscaping career, so it was eye-opening to read of how impactful and how high profile he was. For instance, I had figured "Capability" was an 18th Century name such as "Increase Mather", but here I learned it was an appellation applied to Lancelot Brown for his reputation for reliability and accomplishment. Also, it was interesting to learn part of his success was due to the disposable income rife in the first three-quarters of the 18th Century under the successful mercantile economy of colony-ruling Great Britain.

Part of the appeal of this books is the 80 plates of plan drawings, painting reproductions, illustrations, and more. I think my favorite is on the back cover: a very candid depiction of Brown in a painting by Nathaniel Dance.