Painting Paradise

There are so many treasures here…a rich mix that will delight anyone with an interest in the history of the garden.

The Good Book Guide

Hardback, 290 x 275 mm, 300 colour illustrations
ISBN 978 1 909741 08 9

Simplified Chinese and German rights sold

Gardens are where man and nature meet. They change by the hour, day to day, and with the seasons. They carry associations about the status, approach to life, and sometimes even the political affiliations of their creators. Gardens may be intended for public enjoyment or private delight; they may be open to the masses or closed to all but a chosen few. They can be places of scientific study; havens for the solitary thinker; or spaces for flirtation and for love.

Presented with its many faces, artists have looked at the garden in different ways, extracting and emphasising those facets unique to their culture and era. At the same time, individual elements drawn from the garden, whether architectural or botanical, have at certain periods come to the fore and taken their place in the decorative arts of Western Europe. This book explores the way in which the garden has inspired artists and craftsmen from 1500 to the early twentieth century.

Vanessa Remington is former Senior Curator of Paintings, Royal Collection Trust.