Upper and Lower Terrace Gardens, Bowood. The Seat of the Most Noble the Marquis of Lansdowne

London: Published by T. McLean, 1857. Hand-coloured lithograph. Image size: 12 1/8 x 18 1/4 inches. A beautiful view of Bowood gardens, from "The Gardens of England."

Published in 1857, The Gardens of England is a series of 24 plates with accompanying text depicting the diverse luxuriant gardens of various distinguished English mansions. The mid-nineteenth century was a period during which the traditional aesthetics of garden design underwent a significant change in England, as innovative ideas and concepts were being continually introduced and explored. Brooke's publication embodies the eclectic nature of Victorian garden design and constitutes an important visual survey of the varied styles that were popular among the wealthy and fashionable. The grounds that include Bowood Gardens in Wiltshire were designed by "Capability" Brown, however the great Italianate terrace gardens on the south front of the house were commissioned by the 3rd Marquess. The Upper Terrace, by Sir Robert Smirke, was completed in 1818, and the Lower, by George Kennedy, was added in 1851. Little is known about E. Adveno Brooke, other than that he exhibited at the Royal Academy and British Institution between 1853 and 1864 and his most significant publication was The Gardens of England.

Cf. Abbey, Scenery of Great Britain and Ireland, 392; cf. Cf. Benezit, Dictionnaire Des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, Vol. 2, p. 842.