Firestyle Magazine: Issue 5 - Autumn 2016

Special Stamps commemorate
300th anniversary of the birth of
‘Capability’ Brown’
The Royal Mail has produced a set of eight Special Stamps to mark the 300th
anniversary of the birth of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.
Capability Brown is remembered as ‘the last of the great eighteenth century artists’ and as ‘England’s
greatest gardener’.
Nicknamed ‘Capability’ from his habit of describing locations as having ‘great capabilities’, he changed
the face of eighteenth century England through his innovative approach to landscape gardening.
He designed the landscapes of country estates, by moving hills and creating flowing lakes and serpentine
rivers. He also excavated valleys, planted expanses of turf, clumps of trees and bands of forest.
The stamps showcase eight of the best loved examples of Capability Brown’s work and a celebration of his
contribution to the English landscape.
Locations featured on the stamps are: Blenheim Palace, Longleat, Compton Verney, Highclere Castle,
Alnwick Castle, Berrington Hall, Stowe and Croome Park.
Celebrated for creating landscapes on an immense scale, with a focus on vistas rather than gardens and
parkland it is often said that the images Brown created are as deeply embedded in the English character
as the paintings of Turner and the poetry of Wordsworth.
Throughout 2016 the nationwide Capability Brown Festival celebrates the life, work and legacy of Brown,
in the 300th year of his birth. The Capability Brown Festival has, and continues to see, a myriad of events
including exhibitions, guided walks, musical and theatrical performances and family friendly events held at
many of his 250 landscapes across England and Wales, with more planned for the coming autumn months.
Ceryl Evans, Director of the Capability Brown Festival, said: “It is wonderful that Royal Mail has issued a
set of Special Stamps to celebrate the work of Lancelot “Capability” Brown in his tercentenary year. The
Capability Brown Festival is working to raise the profile and understanding of historic landscapes. What
better way to bring these stunning images into people’s lives in homes and offices than on a stamp?”
Philip Parker, Royal Mail, said: “During his lifetime, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown literally changed the face
of Georgian England. By the time of his death, he was known to have shaped or influenced around 250
landscapes - these stamps pay tribute to the lasting legacy of his work.”
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