Gardens and Gardening in Early Modern England and Wales (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780300232080)

The extravagant gardens of the 16th- and 17th-century British aristocracy are well-documented and celebrated, but the more modest gardens of the rural county gentry have rarely been examined. Jill Francis presents new, never-before published material as well as fresh interpretations of previously examined sources to reveal gardening as a practical activity in which a broad spectrum of society was engaged - from the laborers who dug, manured, and weeded, to the gentleman owners who sought to create gardens that both exemplified their personal tastes and displayed their wealth and status. Enhanced by beautiful and compelling illustrations, this book contributes to a broader understanding of early modern society and its culture by situating the activity of gardening within the wider social and cultural concerns of the age, reflecting the anxieties, hopes, and aspirations of people at the time.

Published in association with the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

Author: Jill Francis
ISBN-10: 030023208X
ISBN-13: 9780300232080
Publisher: Paul Mellon Centre
Language: English
Published: 07/31/2018
Pages: 412
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 3.20lbs
Size: 10.30h x 7.80w x 1.40d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 03/01/2019