Royal Botanic Gardens (London [Kew], England) : Close view of the Pagoda (1756, by W. Chambers), view looking out from within the colonnade

Creator:

Brown, Capability, 1716-1783
Chambers, William, 1723-1796
Nesfield, William Andrews, 1793-1881

Published/Created:

Kew, London, England, United Kingdom
begun 1759

Date Depicted:

5/15/1997
1700 AD - 1799 AD

Materials:

brick

Notes:

Botanic gardens situated on the banks of the River Thames at Kew, 12 km west of London. The gardens extend to 121 ha and combine the roles of a major scientific institution and a popular park. The nucleus of the present Kew Gardens was formed from the grounds of the White House (destroyed 1802), residence of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Princess Augusta, and the adjacent grounds of Richmond Lodge (destroyed 1772), favourite residence of King George II and Queen Caroline. In 1730 Frederick commissioned William Kent to renovate the White House and lay out its grounds. Augusta remained there after Frederick's death (1751), and, under the guidance of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, established a small botanical garden (1759). The remaining grounds were embellished by William Chambers with buildings (1757-1763) in various exotic styles, of which several survive, including the Pagoda (1761-1762), Orangery (1761), Ruined Arch and the temples of Arethusa, Bellona and Aeolus (rebuilt 1845). George III commissioned 'Capability' Brown to remodel the gardens in 1765. The title Royal Botanic Gardens was bestowed by King George III. George III also acquired Kew Palace (also known as the Dutch House; 1631), which was built by Samuel Fortrey, a merchant of Dutch descent, and is the only remaining former royal residence in the gardens. he landscape designer William Andrews Nesfield consolidated the layout of the gardens during the 1840s; his son, W. E. Nesfield, designed the Temperate House Lodge (1867) in an extraordinary Queen Anne style. Several greenhouses, a herbarium and a library were built in the late 19th century.

Variant Titles:

Kew Gardens

Topics:

Architecture -- Britain -- 18th century -- (YVRC)

Period/Style:

Nineteenth century
Picturesque, the

Culture:

British

Accession Number:

2A2-E-L-KG-1-B7

Genre:

gardens: botanical gardens (AAT)
landscape architecture (AAT)

Format:

Image

Content Type:

Sculptures, Models, & Architecture

Rights:

Copyright Scott Gilchrist, Archivision, Inc
The use of this image may be subject to the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) or to site license or other rights management terms and conditions. The person using the image is liable for any infringement.

Access Restrictions:

Yale Community Only

Digital:

agriculture; architectural exteriors; plants; scientific or medical; Gardens gardening complexes; recreation areas; parks (recreation areas); open spaces; gardens; botanical gardens

Source Creator:

Gilchrist, Scott

Source Title:

Archivision Module Two

Source Created:

2878 Chamonix, Montreal QC
Archivision, Inc.
5/15/1997

Source Note:

Purchase, Visual Resources Collection, May, 2011; photographer Scott Gilchrist

Yale Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Digital Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Local Record Number:

4152

OID:

10170616

PID:

digcoll:1803051