Author Archives: The Gardens Trust

Following on from last week’s post ….the increasing popularity among the British elite for the Grand Tour from the later 17th century onwards introduced them then to classical statuary and contemporary sculpture  in Italy and France. On their return they … Continue reading →

It’s hard to imagine the garden of a grand stately home without a statue or three. Indeed these days even modest gardens like mine have a well placed bust or figure to add a touch of class to the surroundings. … Continue reading →

Last week’s Funny Faces  were not the only hybrid art form that evolved in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.   Landscape painting was developing too, especially in the Netherlands and artists, such as Arcimboldo whose work I looked … Continue reading →

We’re probably all familiar with  funny faces like these  although I suspect that most of us don’t know much more about them or the artist, except perhaps that his name was Arcimboldo. The obvious question is why  a serious court … Continue reading →