Spatial Analysis
Story Map
Through the observation of the locations and dates of the creation of English Renaissance gardens, a pattern becomes apparent. Heraldic gardens primarily served royal purposes, while Mannerist gardens proved more generally popular among the elite and the Eclectic gardens were less popular and more reflective, perhaps, of a declining interest in extravagant displays of wealth and status in the face the impending Civil War. With a concentration of England's elite and wealthy in the south, particularly around the city of London, this concentration resulted in an increasing number of formal gardens in southern England—the home counties. Heraldic style gardens were the first of the Renaissance style gardens to be established in England, strictly commissioned by English royalty. Followed by the Mannerist gardens made popular by the English gentry, still an impressive display of status but less concerned with displaying status legitimacy. Lastly the Eclectic style garden reflected the declining state of English society, the elaborate display status becomes less important in the face of civil war. This map identifies a major portion of the Renaissance gardens found in early modern England. Each pinpoint plots the location of a garden. By clicking on these points one can see the name, city location, and the style that the space embodies. Hampton Court Palace was the picture of Renaissance gardens in England. Even before Hampton Court was handed- over to Henry VIII it was well on its way to a notable artistic accomplishment under the ownership of Cardinal Wolsey. Gentlemen-usher to Cardinal Woolsey, George Cavendish, described the aesthetics and atmosphere of the Hampton Court gardens in his memoirs:
"My grades sweet, enclosed with walls strong,Motivated by the glamour and sophistication of the Elizabethan Court, architecture was the subject of fervent interest characterized by symbolism, theatric whimsy and fantasy [Airs, 1998]. The elite and royal gardens displayed rich color and splendor, framed in meticulously kept spaces. Tudor style gardens conveyed a strong sense of order, power, and superiority- traits commonly associated with the Tudor dynasty. Fraught with symbolism, the Renaissance ideals of control and perfection replace the naturalistic, medieval approach [The English Garden, 2018]. Historian Elizabeth Woodhouse suggests, in her article, “The Spirit of the Elizabethan Gardens,” that “the fundamental elements that underlined the Renaissance philosophy of a microcosmic gathering together of the whole of nature under the rule of man—with emphasis on architectural embellishment, as well as a hierarchy aligned to a strict geometric order,” were expressed in the gardens of the English elite and royalty. Woodhouse argues that “…the fundamental elements that underlined the Renaissance philosophy of a microcosmic gathering together of the whole of nature under the rule of man- with an emphasis on architectural embellishment as well as a hierarchy aligned to a strict geometric order” [Woodhouse, 1999]. Woodhouse dissects the manifestation of these Renaissance ideals in early modern England, crediting both Italy and France with this wave of garden evolution “… ideas of the Italian Renaissance had been absorbed by Charles III of and his court through their stay in Italy and by inter-marriage between Italian and French royal nobility” [Woodhouse, 1999]. It can be argued that English culture has always been aligned with the Italian cultural and Renaissance ideals. The exclusivity of the Renaissance gardens of England can be found in the favored flora and fauna found within these spaces. The English displayed a great love for sweet fragrances and colorful flowers, the celebration of these elements can be found in all types of media- literature, portraiture, fine metal work, embroidery and sculptural arts. Pleasure gardens under the Elizabethan court reflected a network of symbolic royal imagery. This imagery reflected an almost magical supreme power over the universe, this ideal was central to the Elizabethan image [Strong, 1998].
Enbanked with benches to sytt and take my rest
The knots so enknotted, it connot be exprest,
With arbots and lys so plesaunt and so dulce,
The pestilent ayers with flauors to repulse" [Triggs, 1992].
Influenced by social change the dwellings of the early modern gentry evolved, no longer dictated by the need to build for defense. The design elements of these structures reflected a cultural shift toward hospitality, the result of established peace within the domestic sphere and the financial stability of a nation [Airs, 1998.]. Historian Malcolm Airs analyzes the motivations and design choices of early modern surveyors to build an understanding of cultural influences evident in the homes of the English gentry [Malcolm Airs,109]. His work is fundamental in understanding the connection between the changes in architectural design and the shifting cultural landscape. In his work The Tudor and Jacobean Country House: A Building History, Airs concludes that the cultural shift towards hospitality during the Tudor age resulted in the drastic reshaping of the English countryside by the break of the English Civil War [Airs, 1999].
The design objective of formal gardening was to bring harmony between the home and the land surrounding it, each space being a reflection of the other [The Formal Garden, 2018]. In addition to the inherited features of medieval gardens, such as mazes, turf, bower, raised beds and fountains, the esthetics of English gardens evolved in size, complexities and function. The natural world continued to be further tamed a trend kick-started by Henry VIII’s rivalry with French King Louis I. This competition resulted in the addition of features, like the mount, a raised mound of earth crowned with an arbor or a seat. This offered views of the enclosing walls to the wilds of nature outside and down to the formally designed spaces below [Biddle, 1999]. Henry VIII’s gardens at Hampton Court Palace, although one of greatest examples of the Renaissance gardens in England, never achieved the symmetrical excellence of their Italian and French counterparts. It was instead filled with an array of buildings, sundials and heraldic beasts in brilliant color. The early modern pleasure gardens were a prime example of the Tudor and Stuart impression of monarchy. “The garden was a setting for masques and alfresco entertainments, for philosophical contemplation and melancholy meditation. It was a symbol of pride and expression of royal and aristocratic magnificence; man conquered the earth, tilled and planted it, subjecting it to his will” [Strong, 1998]. The presence of these grand exterior spaces serves as a symbol of a monarchy’s success, a product of national peace and stability.
The traditions of Tudor society are reflected within these carefully designed spaces. Tudor society was based on a hierarchical order framed by a system of patriarchy. Historian Jill Francis discusses a commonplace of early modern England society “to view the household as a microcosm of the state, conceived as a miniature commonwealth, where royal and patriarchal authority was seen as a manifestation of a divinely ordered hierarchy. Just as wives, children and servants were subject to the male head of the household, so good order of society depended on good order in the household” [Francis, 2008]. The need for social control is reflected in every aspect of Tudor life, including the design of dwelling spaces both interior and exterior. In her article Order and Disorder in the early modern Garden Jill Francis examines the contributions the study of garden design and theory has added to the understanding of the social values and practice of Tudor England [Francis, 2008]. The marriage of art and nature is a reoccurring theme in early modern English gardens, using nature to create art that reflects nature. A concept that historian Jill Francis refers to the other nature “…Elizabethans harnessed this other nature and created a civilized microcosm of paradise” [Woodhouse, 1999. To achieve this on a large scale required several aspects of highly stylized features including- knots, mazes, terraces, mounts and banqueting houses. The these tighly highly manicured features is a reflection of control, wealth and status, evolving as English society evolved. Celebrating the stability of a nation at peace and dissipating in grandeur as the nation faced instability and the stress of war.