DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16633#0186
History oj Garden Art
sculptured figures at the dividing walls, and ended with a great reflecting pond, that
occupied nearly all the space there was (Fig. 487).
Just as the Belvedere supplied the town with a central point for a garden quarter in
the south, the house built by the wealthy Adam von Liechtenstein in the north made
with its splendid gardens a focussing point (Fig. 488) for other grounds round about the
Alserbach. The beautiful Belvedere with its open pillared hall, cutting off the Liechten-
stein garden on the river side, and giving a grand view of Kahlenberg, has been absorbed,
view and all, into the town.
If we turn over the engravings by Delsenbach and Kleiner, which keep alive for us
these Viennese gardens that belong to the first half of the eighteenth century, we are
necessarily struck by their formal, prescribed type. The canal plays no part here, but
instead many cascades are found in the strictly marked middle axis, conditioned by terraces
which are everywhere supreme. The boskets are simpler than those a French garden
requires. All these peculiarities show that at Vienna the prevailing influence was not
French, but more and more Italian, although there are many French details worked into
an Italian background. This state of things suited the political situation—not only the
violent animosity towards the French court, but also the long alliance with Italy, so
sympathetic to the main interests of court life at Vienna. Under Maria Theresa all
literature and art took their colour from Italy. The greatest architects of the period:
Hildebrand, and Fischer von Erlach, who gave a new character to Vienna in the early decades
of the eighteenth century, were full of Italian ideas. It is true that Prince Eugen had
employed Girard, the French gardener at the Bavarian court, to lay out the grounds of
the Belvedere, but it is noteworthy how the genius loci constrained this artist to work in an
Italian style. One has only to compare his work at Nymphenburg with the Belvedere to
realise the facts. In both, the water is the main feature of the design, yet what different
pictures we get! In one there is the French canal garden, in the other, Italian terraces.
Even the choice of ground shows the effect of the different styles.
All the gardens hitherto treated lie almost in the precincts of a town, and the absence
of large parks may be put down to want of space, but one has only to look outside Vienna
to discovei the same thing. In the estuary between the March and the Danube stands
the Schloss Hof (Fig. 489). This Prince Eugen inherited at the beginning of the century,
and he made a garden there. Later it became an imperial property, and in the years
1758-60 Canaletto painted his fine pictures here, at the bidding of the Empress
Maria Theresa. This garden, whose extension was really unlimited, was governed by the
same spirit we have met with in the towns. Six terraces ascend to the palace, some wide,
some narrow, and there are parterres on three sides of it (Fig. 490). We reach the actual
ornamental garden by three steps, and a terrace projects from it enclosed by a balustrade,
and forming three outstanding parts. Below there is a grotto in the middle, cut off by a
wrought-iron gate. A fine flight of steps leads up to the next narrow terrace and to another
parterre which has thick arbours of lattice at the side, and pavilions roofed with copper.
There is a cascade in the middle, falling over a supporting wall which is well made
architecturally. A simpler cascade plunges down from the fifth to the sixth terrace, with
shrubberies to walk in at the sides. On the highest and lowest terraces there is a large fountain
with groups of figures. The River March, which flows past the garden, brings this region
to an end in the valley below. The peculiar southern character of this garden was kept
sculptured figures at the dividing walls, and ended with a great reflecting pond, that
occupied nearly all the space there was (Fig. 487).
Just as the Belvedere supplied the town with a central point for a garden quarter in
the south, the house built by the wealthy Adam von Liechtenstein in the north made
with its splendid gardens a focussing point (Fig. 488) for other grounds round about the
Alserbach. The beautiful Belvedere with its open pillared hall, cutting off the Liechten-
stein garden on the river side, and giving a grand view of Kahlenberg, has been absorbed,
view and all, into the town.
If we turn over the engravings by Delsenbach and Kleiner, which keep alive for us
these Viennese gardens that belong to the first half of the eighteenth century, we are
necessarily struck by their formal, prescribed type. The canal plays no part here, but
instead many cascades are found in the strictly marked middle axis, conditioned by terraces
which are everywhere supreme. The boskets are simpler than those a French garden
requires. All these peculiarities show that at Vienna the prevailing influence was not
French, but more and more Italian, although there are many French details worked into
an Italian background. This state of things suited the political situation—not only the
violent animosity towards the French court, but also the long alliance with Italy, so
sympathetic to the main interests of court life at Vienna. Under Maria Theresa all
literature and art took their colour from Italy. The greatest architects of the period:
Hildebrand, and Fischer von Erlach, who gave a new character to Vienna in the early decades
of the eighteenth century, were full of Italian ideas. It is true that Prince Eugen had
employed Girard, the French gardener at the Bavarian court, to lay out the grounds of
the Belvedere, but it is noteworthy how the genius loci constrained this artist to work in an
Italian style. One has only to compare his work at Nymphenburg with the Belvedere to
realise the facts. In both, the water is the main feature of the design, yet what different
pictures we get! In one there is the French canal garden, in the other, Italian terraces.
Even the choice of ground shows the effect of the different styles.
All the gardens hitherto treated lie almost in the precincts of a town, and the absence
of large parks may be put down to want of space, but one has only to look outside Vienna
to discovei the same thing. In the estuary between the March and the Danube stands
the Schloss Hof (Fig. 489). This Prince Eugen inherited at the beginning of the century,
and he made a garden there. Later it became an imperial property, and in the years
1758-60 Canaletto painted his fine pictures here, at the bidding of the Empress
Maria Theresa. This garden, whose extension was really unlimited, was governed by the
same spirit we have met with in the towns. Six terraces ascend to the palace, some wide,
some narrow, and there are parterres on three sides of it (Fig. 490). We reach the actual
ornamental garden by three steps, and a terrace projects from it enclosed by a balustrade,
and forming three outstanding parts. Below there is a grotto in the middle, cut off by a
wrought-iron gate. A fine flight of steps leads up to the next narrow terrace and to another
parterre which has thick arbours of lattice at the side, and pavilions roofed with copper.
There is a cascade in the middle, falling over a supporting wall which is well made
architecturally. A simpler cascade plunges down from the fifth to the sixth terrace, with
shrubberies to walk in at the sides. On the highest and lowest terraces there is a large fountain
with groups of figures. The River March, which flows past the garden, brings this region
to an end in the valley below. The peculiar southern character of this garden was kept