building the american landscape - Univerza v Novi Gorici

Thus, Downing’s ideas endorsed the aesthetic renewal at a time when landscape
gardening was no longer restricted to private, rich individuals or to initiatives by
horticultural societies. However much Downing distanced himself from the
naturalistic scenes of the frontier, he was undoubtedly aware of the existence of
the “sublime” landscapes of the wilderness, which sparked the demand by citizens
of the American metropolis for green areas in the heart of the large, built‐up, urban
areas. Therefore, the chance to tackle a large public project also brought to light the
possibility of blending nature and the metropolis. However, the relationship
between town and park was the part Downing investigated least, and perhaps he
intentionally refused to include thick barriers of vegetation along the perimeter of
the area [Figure 117].
Downing dreamt of a project organised into a succession of five large gardens,
crossed by winding paths flanked by an existing waterway. A sixth area sloped
gently down towards the River Potomac and was the culmination of undulating
ground [Figure 116]. The obelisk in memory of Washington, a work by Robert Mills
(1781‐1855), was placed at the beginning of this area, opposite the White House, in
line with the Capitol Building, the construction of which had begun a few years
earlier.
Downing’s project was only partially completed due to lack of funding and it was
completely destroyed when the public grounds were used to station troops during
the Civil War.
Unfortunately, very few of Downing’s projects have survived and he was not as
successful professionally as Alexander Jackson Davis, many of whose works are still
to be seen.
Davis not only worked with Downing, he was also an architect, talented designer
and expert builder. After a profitable period of experimenting with the classical
style, he decided to dedicate himself to projects for country houses. Among his
many house projects, one of the most famous from an architectural point of view
was most certainly Lyndhurst Mansion, Tarrytown, New York (1838) [Figure 118], an
example of Gothic Revival, built along the banks of the Hudson. Davis’ ideas on
landscape followed in the footsteps of Downing’s, but showed a strong feeling for
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