Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown

Caroline Holmes (University of Cambridge)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.05: English Writing and Culture from the Glorious Revolution to the French Revolution, 1689-1789.
Vol. editors: Paul Baines (University of Liverpool), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Pat Rogers (University of South Florida), Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

Dates

Born 1716
Died 1783
Activity 1741-1783

Places

Born in England
Active in England

Activities

Primary

Landscape designer

Resources

Brown's Works

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The name of “Capability Brown” evokes a landscape of sheep gently grazing in grassy parkland, punctuated by trees and a naturalistic lake, an image exported around the world via France as

le jardin anglais

and for which he was largely responsible. Brown was arguably the most important landscape designer in British history.

Lancelot Brown was born in Kirkharle, Northumberland in 1716 into a farming family and attended school at nearby Cambo until he was sixteen. It can be assumed he was naturally intelligent and received a good basic education since he later became adept in the various skills required of a landscaper, hydraulic engineer, architect, artist and scientist, and had the ability to converse cogently with his patrons. At sixteen he went to work for the local landowner, Sir

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2477 words

Citation: Holmes, Caroline. "Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 November 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=598, accessed 19 December 2024.]

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