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building the american landscape - Univerza v Novi Gorici

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Thus, Downing’s ideas endorsed <strong>the</strong> aes<strong>the</strong>tic renewal at a time when <strong>landscape</strong><br />

gardening was no longer restricted to private, rich individuals or to initiatives by<br />

horticultural societies. However much Downing distanced himself from <strong>the</strong><br />

naturalistic scenes of <strong>the</strong> frontier, he was undoubtedly aware of <strong>the</strong> existence of<br />

<strong>the</strong> “sublime” <strong>landscape</strong>s of <strong>the</strong> wilderness, which sparked <strong>the</strong> demand by citizens<br />

of <strong>the</strong> American metropolis for green areas in <strong>the</strong> heart of <strong>the</strong> large, built‐up, urban<br />

areas. Therefore, <strong>the</strong> chance to tackle a large public project also brought to light <strong>the</strong><br />

possibility of blending nature and <strong>the</strong> metropolis. However, <strong>the</strong> relationship<br />

between town and park was <strong>the</strong> part Downing investigated least, and perhaps he<br />

intentionally refused to include thick barriers of vegetation along <strong>the</strong> perimeter of<br />

<strong>the</strong> area [Figure 117].<br />

Downing dreamt of a project organised into a succession of five large gardens,<br />

crossed by winding paths flanked by an existing waterway. A sixth area sloped<br />

gently down towards <strong>the</strong> River Potomac and was <strong>the</strong> culmination of undulating<br />

ground [Figure 116]. The obelisk in memory of Washington, a work by Robert Mills<br />

(1781‐1855), was placed at <strong>the</strong> beginning of this area, opposite <strong>the</strong> White House, in<br />

line with <strong>the</strong> Capitol Building, <strong>the</strong> construction of which had begun a few years<br />

earlier.<br />

Downing’s project was only partially completed due to lack of funding and it was<br />

completely destroyed when <strong>the</strong> public grounds were used to station troops during<br />

<strong>the</strong> Civil War.<br />

Unfortunately, very few of Downing’s projects have survived and he was not as<br />

successful professionally as Alexander Jackson Davis, many of whose works are still<br />

to be seen.<br />

Davis not only worked with Downing, he was also an architect, talented designer<br />

and expert builder. After a profitable period of experimenting with <strong>the</strong> classical<br />

style, he decided to dedicate himself to projects for country houses. Among his<br />

many house projects, one of <strong>the</strong> most famous from an architectural point of view<br />

was most certainly Lyndhurst Mansion, Tarrytown, New York (1838) [Figure 118], an<br />

example of Gothic Revival, built along <strong>the</strong> banks of <strong>the</strong> Hudson. Davis’ ideas on<br />

<strong>landscape</strong> followed in <strong>the</strong> footsteps of Downing’s, but showed a strong feeling for<br />

151

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