A garden in Bruges

Virgin and Child, with Saints Catherine and Barbara,  and Mary Magdalene, and Donor   

Gerard David 1510  © National Gallery, London

The large-scale meditative figures dominate this painting, posed against the Italian silk and gold damask hanging which frames the Virgin and Child, and the buildings of Bruges behind.  The walled garden (the hortus conclusus),  the potent medieval image of Mary's virginity, seems to fade into the background in this 'modern' Renaissance painting; only the sharp horizontal line of the wall as it  links  the saints' heads reinforces this concept of the holy enclosed garden.  

At Luton Hoo Park

   Daughters of the 3rd Earl of Bute   Johann Zoffany 1763-4  © Tate UK   

Their botanist father had only just acquired his estate at Luton Park (having resigned as Prime Minister),  and Robert Adam had not yet begun work on the house.  Here the girls are playing with their pet squirrels in the park;  later they could have enjoyed the famous Walled Garden, designed by Capability Brown.  Bute had been tutor to the future George III, and would have been very familiar with the Royal Gardens at Kew.  

Golding Constable's Garden

John Constable c. 1815  ©  Colchester& Ipswich Museums Service 

Notice the distant windmill drawing the eye, and here closer to home, from an upstairs window, Golding Constable's Flower Garden.

John Constable, 1815  © Christchurch Mansion

In or out of the Garden?

Balloon Race, Clipston     David Tindle  1980/81

©the artist  Government Art Collection

Mural     David Tindle,  1978

© the artist   Open University Campus

Music in Kew Gardens

Frederick, Prince of Wales and his sisters (Kew Palace in the background)  Philippe Mercier   1733

©  see Public Catalogue Foundation

Roses for the Invalid

Ralph Hedley 1894  © Laing Art Gallery

I am currently convalescing  but hope to resume fuller blogs in September.

the kennet canal

A walk along the towpath, West Mills, Newbury.  

(credit West Berks Museum)