Observations on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening.
London: Phaidon Press, 1980. 4to. Limited edition. #54 of 445 copies. A facsimile of the first publication in 1803. Quarter brown calf over brown buckram boards. Leather label to spine. Raised bands, gilt. Marbled end papers. Top edge gilt. Printed on Sommerville cream parchment paper. 38 tissue-guarded plates, some folding, many in colour, 14 of which have overlays, and one colour diagram. Lacks the slipcase. A little scuffing to the spine, some slight scoring to the back board, and a few patches of light discolouration to the front board. Contents clean and fresh. Near fine. Item #4956
Humphry Repton (1752-1818), successor to 'Capability' Brown and Britain's first professional landscape gardener, expounded his principles of gardening in three major publications. Of these, Observations is undoubtedly the most important. Written partly to prevent his rivals plagiarising his ideas and partly as a response to the criticisms of the Picturesque Party, headed by Uvedale Price and Richard Payne Knight, it is the complete statement of Repton's system of landscape design, where house and garden, scientifically integrated, combine to form one unified composition. Phaidon's prospectus and order form loosely inserted. The published price was £225.
Price: £500.00