European and Japanese Gardens 



playful caprice is often carried to extremes, especially in the 

 later villas, but in general it is, and in its modern imitations it can 

 always be, kept within the bounds of good taste, so that every 

 feature shall not only be well placed and pleasing in its effect, 

 in conjunction with the foliage, grass and ffowers, but pleasing 

 also in itself as an architectural design. This was almost always 

 true of the designs of Vignola, Giulio Romano, and Pirro 

 Ligorio, but not always of their successors. There is some- 

 times too sharp a contrast between the florid stucco decora- 

 tions of terraces and fountains and the classic dignit}' of the 

 antique fragments that adorn many of the gardens. Based, as 

 this style of gardening is, on the models and on the actual 

 remains of ancient Roman estates, it is most successful when 

 its adornments of architecture and sculpture are classic in spirit 



and design, a 

 principle which 

 should not be lost 

 sight of in mod- 

 ern attempts at 

 this sort of gar- 

 dening. In the 

 Italian examples 

 the chief features 

 claiming atten- 

 tion may be cata- 

 logued as follows: 

 terrace -walls, 

 balustrades and 

 stairs, gate-ways, 

 fountains, loggias 

 and other aedi- 

 cules, exedras, 

 stone benches, 

 marble vases on 

 high pedestals, 

 termini, and stat- 

 uary in single fig- 



- '.xr-V-.-v^; ures or groups. 



- --:■/'■ Everv one of 



these features is 



PLAYFUL CAPRICE OFTEN CARRIED TO EXTREMES" 

 Ruined Water-organ Villa d'Este, Tivoli CapaDIC Ot grCat 



33 



