Humphrey Repton was born
at Bury St. Edmunds. His father was Collector of Taxes and the family
intended that he should become one of the prosperous Norwich merchants
whose trade was primarily with Holland. He married very young and engaged
in several enterprises, all of which were failures. He spent five years
studying, Hadfield states, "the beauties of nature, gardening, botany,
entomology and other gentlemanly sciences: he made drawings of many
of the old country seats in the neighborhood." After a short interlude
as confidential secretary to the Lord Lieutenant in Ireland he took
to gardening again, back in Essex, England where he started a business
which again failed. One night after much worrying he decided to become
a landscape gardener and the successor of "capability" Brown.
Repton had read very extensively and was a good
mathematician who could "demonstrate" his theories of
design with geometrical diagrams. His botanical
writings appeared in the Transactions of the
Linnean Society.
He published several books:
Sketches and Hints on Landscape Gardening
(1794)
Observations on the Theory and Practice of
Landscape Gardening (1803)
An Enquiry into the Change of Taste in Landscape
Gardening (1806)
An Introduction of Indian Architecture and
Gardening (1808)
Fragments on the Theory and Practice of Landscape
Gardening (1817)
In his book published in 1806, he outlined the
principles of landscape gardening which he followed in
his successful conduct of his profession as
follows:
"The perfection of landscape gardening consists in
the four following requisites. First, it must display
the natural beauties and hide the defects of every
situation. Secondly, it should give the appearance of
extent and freedom by carefully disguising or hiding
the boundary. Thirdly it must studiously conceal every
interference of art. However expensive by which the
natural scenery is improved; making the whole appear
the production of nature only; and fourthly, all
objects of mere convenience or comfort, if incapable
of being made ornamental, or of becoming proper parts
of the general scenery, must be removed or concealed.
This latter article, I confess, has occasionally
misled modern improvers into the absurdly if not only
banishing the appearance but the reality of all
comfort and convenience to a distance; frequently
exemplified in a bad choice of a spot for the kitchen
garden". Obviously these principles are being
pertinent today in any really good landscape
planning."
Repton reintroduced the terrace as important to the
foreground. The "avenue was no longer forbidden." He
also reintroduced flower beds and small flower gardens
consisting of various kinds of plants.
The influence of Repton was very great and long
continued. John Loudon took up his theories following
his death. Repton estimated that over one and a half
million impressions of his sketches and views had been
circulated. Three thousand were in manuscript form
owned probably by his clients. He was the consultant
and the work was carried out by his clients.
