30 LANDSCAPE GARDENING 



planned in such fashion is designed to be seen 

 from only one or two stated positions. 



The landscape-designer must prepare his work 

 with much greater conscientiousness, since it will 

 be seen from a variety of positions. If elevations 

 are drawn from several different aspects, and all 

 ''compose" well, — that is to say, seem to have the 

 proper space relations, — a satisfactory design in 

 three dimensions is assured. This is Rodin's 

 method of working in sculpture. He models en- 

 tirely for the silhouette of his figure from all pos- 

 sible positions. This accounts in a measure for 

 his magnificent results. 



As may easily be seen in a photograph, all 

 masses of three dimensions appear to the eye, or 

 rather pictorially, as areas possessing only two di- 

 mensions. One actually beholds only width and 

 height, for the impression of depth is an illusion. 



Landscape design may safely be defined as the 

 satisfactory and consequently beautiful composi- 

 tion of natural areas — shapes of earth, trees, and 

 sky — in three dimensions. 



As used in this book, the term composition 

 means the ''putting together" of certain various 

 elements in such a way as to produce an appear- 

 ance of unity and harmony. It is the assimilation 



