Sketches and Hints on Landscape Gardening 1795

Humphry Repton’s “Sketches and Hints on Landscape Gardening” is a book of printed illustrations made in England during the late 18th and early 19th century. The prints are made using a combination of etching and aquatint, and then meticulously hand-colored. It’s important to remember that in this period, making books was intensely laborious. Repton has used a clever device here, a literal “before and after” slider. A flap of paper is attached to the print, which can be lifted or lowered to reveal a different version of the same landscape. In doing so, the print demonstrates Repton’s concept of landscape gardening. What is more, the prints show the English aristocracy enjoying the result of this labor and the work of gardening, as well as the work that went into the artistic production of the book. Repton was very successful selling his services to this elite clientele. This book, therefore, highlights the relationship between artistic skill, manual work, and social class. Appreciating the craft involved encourages us to think about this relationship, and the social context that shaped both the making and reception of Repton’s designs.