Villa Petraia by Giusto Utens (d1609) detail Original at Petraia Villa Medici

ONLINE COURSE Gardens in Renaissance art

Fri 23 September 2022

online

Drawing upon the richness of European art, we will explore the impact of the Renaissance on horticulture and garden design. Integrating heaven and earth as they combine wilderness and water with artificiality and automata. Terraces spring from hillsides and grottoes pierce the dark earth whilst statues and fountains bring the gods to life. Power is expressed through both the size and control of the gardens’ form, and the recording of them by artists whose patrons were the wealthy owners. Art, architecture and gardens combined to bring a renaissance of the past whilst hydraulics and horticulture looked towards the future. We will explore how the Renaissance Garden spread from the landscape and art of southern Europe, arriving finally in Britain a century after its birth.

Cost: £25