Place-making: The Art of Capability Brown, 1716-1783
By John Phibbs
Leading authority on Brown publishes long-awaited celebration to mark his 300th anniversary
Publication date: TBC
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Capability Brown Master Class
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THE BOOK: This book is to be published in hardback, with approximately 320 pages in 276 x 219 mm format, and will include at least 100 illustrations including plans and new colour photography. Publication is scheduled for May 2017.
Capability Brown was a great artist, and this book shows what his artistry consisted of. His influence on the culture of England has been as great as that of Turner, Telford and Wordsworth.
Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown (1716-1783) is the iconic figure at the head of the English landscape style, a tradition that has dominated landscape design in the western world. He was widely acclaimed for his genius in his own day, lived on personal terms with the king, a friend of five prime-ministers, and the great men of his day.
Two factors make his astonishing achievements relevant to us today: first the scale at which he worked and the prolixity of his commissions have given him a direct influence on some half a million acres of England and Wales (that’s an average size English county); and second, arising from that, Brown didn’t just transform the English countryside, he also transformed our idea of what it is to be English and what England is. His work is everywhere, but goes largely unnoticed, the phrase ‘Invisible in plain sight’ comes to mind. Even today though he has had biographers, his work has generated very little analysis.
Very little of what he wrote survives, but the reason why he isn’t noticed – and this point was made in his own day in the 18th century – is that his was such a naturalistic style that all his best work was mistaken for untouched nature. This has made it very difficult to see and understand, which leaves us in a strange situation today. Of the 250 or so country houses for which he designed parks, about 200 are still worth seeing, and millions of people every year visit the 140 that are at least occasionally open to the public. Yet if you were to ask any one of these visitors the simplest questions about the parks (‘what are they for?’, ‘how do they work?’, ‘why did they need so much grass?’ ‘what do they have to do with country houses?’, for example), they would look at you bemused, as if you had asked what mountains are for. For people who are used to English landscape, parks simply are what they are: parks have grass because they are parks.
This blindness to these obvious questions is not confined to the general public. Professional landscape architects, academics and those involved in landscape conservation would be no more able to answer them. It is not just that there is no consensus in understanding Capability Brown’s work, but there has been no attempt to understand it. Even the framework of language for understanding it is lacking. For all his acknowledged importance, Brown is a blank.
This book for the first time answers these simple questions about the English landscape tradition and Brown’s place in it, but it aims primarily to make landscape legible, to show people where to stand, what to look at and how to see.
Publishing Partner
Historic England is the public body that champions and protects England’s historic environment, from the prehistoric to the post-War. For further information go to HistoricEngland.org.uk
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I am considering pledging towards publication of the book but would like to know the usual publication information please, such as number of pages; format and size of book; number of colour and black/white illustrations? Thank you Elizabeth
Dear Elizabeth Taylor, I have referred your question to the publishers at Historic England. they are better placed to answer you than I am
This sounds fascinating. Can you provide a sense of the balance between text and photos in this book. Because this is a visual topic, one would expect a lot of illustrative photos and maybe maps, but this doesn't come out in the description. If these are planned, maybe more info on this would help market the book?
Dear Paul Forster, I have referred your question to Historic England, my publisher, and better placed to answer your questions than I am. I hope they will help you, John
Hi, can you tell me where the master classes will be organised? I live in Northumberland you see.
Dear Monique, the first three have been organised for April and will take place at Claremont, Surrey; Fawsley Hall, Northants; and Weston Park, Staffs. If they go well we shall organise others for other parts of the country. Can I ask you, or anyone else who is curious about the master-classes to contact inspiration@inspirationevents.com? - they can give you all the information you need. Many thanks - and Happy Tercentennial New Year
Can you please give me an indication as to when the book will be published.
Wendy, I'm very sorry about the delays - my part is finished and now we must wait for the publishers, Historic England and the National Trust, to do theirs. They swear that it will be out in February 2017. I had hoped it would come out at the same time as my book with Rizzoli (Capability Brown designing the English landscape) because I designed the two to be complementary. Once again please accept my apologies if I have let you down, John
Do you know when I am likely to receive a copy of the book?
Wendy, further apologies seem in order. I am now waiting to see the index, which is due to arrive with me on the 8th March. I'll have to check through that and then there should be nothing to stop us from going to print. Historic England currently forecast a publication date in May and hope to make that the beginning of May. Small consolation for you perhaps, but I hope the wait will be worth it. Many apologies again, John
A comment...the link to the publishing partner Historic England does not appear to work.
I shall forward your comment to Historic England
Can you please give supporters an update on the status of this title? I understand it's with 'Historic England' and the 'National Trust' but at what stage? I have worked for several Publishers in Production and Manufacturing roles and I have to say that the slippage on this title is quite unacceptable as well as the communication on the schedule from Unbound. I have pledged £50 on this title as a subject very dear to my heart but the publishing model here seems not to be working. I'd appreciate some quality feedback please regarding my investment. Many thanks, Helen Mason
Helen, I shall forward your query to John Hudson, the head of publishing at Historic England, he will be able to tell you what's going on better than I. However my understanding is that the book is now with the printers and should be published by the end of April. I have not been given a publication date as such. This is a poor answer to your question I know, but I hardly know what else to say. With my sincere apologies for the delay, John