Italian Villas And Their Gardens (Classical America Series in Art and Architecture) [Paperback]

Edith Wharton (Author)

Book Description

Series: Classical America Series in Art and Architecture | Publication Date: August 21, 1976

Struck by the magnificence of the Italian countryside from the time of her first sojourn there, our ranking novelist and lady of letters of the early 1900s—a renowned connoisseur—joined forces with the foremost illustrator of the time to celebrate a subject that was dear to them both: the incomparable villas and gardens of Italy. Edith Wharton draws on three centuries of knowledge written in four languages and covers some eighty villas and sixty garden architects. She describes the remarkable splendor of the villas for readers who have never seen them, and leads the reader through her discoveries of why the great houses and grounds create an effect of such profound calm and resolution.Their impact is not merely a matter of ancient statues or splashing fountains—impressive as these may be. Rather, the unique harmony stems from the spirit of the architects’ and the designers’ art: that delicate blending of man’s work and the variations of nature to achieve a sense of flawless concord. Her success in describing the Villa D’Este, the Villa Medici, and others, is enhanced and vivified by the breathtaking, full-color paintings of Maxfield Parrish.In his introductory essay, Henry Hope Reed, president of Classical America, places Italian Villas and Their Gardens in the context of American garden design at the turn of the century. Edith Wharton’s thesis, that there is much value to be learned from the traditional Italian garden, helped to shape the American landscape of the era. In conveying the message, Maxfield Parrish proved a worthy acolyte. Thomas S. Hayes, who is president of the Edith Whatron Restoration, Inc., tells in his essay how the Italian model guided her in designing the garden of her famous country house, the Mount, at Lenox, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (August 21, 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306800489
• ISBN-13: 978-0306800481
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #806,171 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars intellectually stimulating garden history, September 13, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Durham, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Italian Villas And Their Gardens (Classical America Series in Art and Architecture) (Paperback)

I was very excited to find this book and nab a copy of it. (I'm a garden writer and I wanted to get Edith Wharton's perspective on garden history).

Italian gardens, as it turns out, are places for walking, thinking, conversing and relaxing. Their most common elements are paths, hedges, arcades, fountains, pools and grottos. They very seldom utilize color (a feature that is often ofterdone in American gardens), instead concentrating on foliage texture, stone and statuary. Usual plantings are trees, shrubs and vines.

What is most instructive is the layout of these Italian gardens, including the idea of garden rooms and the use of water features (both of which have become immensely popular here in the US, in the last few years). The architecture of the garden is everything, and is an extension of the house. Order, logic and function are paramount in the Italian garden.

Edith Wharton is a brilliant and fascinating guide; literary and historical references abound. A joy to read and to keep for reference.

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FYI - Original illustrations in color still are!, January 24, 2001

By 

P. Thomson (Fort Wayne Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Italian Villas And Their Gardens (Classical America Series in Art and Architecture) (Paperback)

I am a lucky owner of the 1904 original edition. I bought this reissue so that I could enjoy reading the text without worrying about damaging my 1904 edition. Comparing the two, the orignal's Parrish color and black & white illustrations are all there in the reissue. Please note that several were NOT color in the original too. The only difference is that the reissue has the color prints situated in a group in the center of the book, whereas (in the original) they are sprinkled throughout and have tissue paper protection. The color print quality is not as crisp as the original, but it is color. The b&w print quality is just as un-crisp as in the original.

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars FYI - Maxfield Parrish illustrations are not in color, June 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Italian Villas And Their Gardens (Classical America Series in Art and Architecture) (Paperback)

I bought this book looking for Maxfield Parrish illustrations. I kept this book because Edith Warton is an incredibly soothing writer.

It should be of note that the text was so wonderfully written that it kept me from returning the book.

Imagine, however, what an incredible book this would be if the Parrish illustrations were not in black and white.