University of Massachusetts Amherst - Index Yearbook (Amherst, MA)

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They have traveled the European continent through, and have brought home the best of the material found, giving to it all that characteristic American finish which, though indescribable, is always to be detected. AVe cannot here go into lengthy discussion of the technicalities of tlie art ; but its foundation is such a thorough knowledge of the various charac- teristics of the many species of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, and the numerous varieties, that under the hand of the artist nature, ever willing to be led, may take on a new beauty. He needs to know what part color and form play in beautifying the landscape ; how to produce any desired effect of view, whether of greater extent, height, or smoothness. While the painter sees a picture from one point alone, the artist in this case must make all glimpses of his work beautiful. It is to learn from Natvn-e her intents, and perfect them, to know her laws and follow them, that should guide him who would be an artist in landscape gardening. What is there that offers more possibilities of picturesqueness, a larger field for taste, skill, and labor, than landscape art? What higher ambition, than to paint a picture on nature ' s own background, more beautiful than any sylvan glade on woven canvas.? What higher reward for industry could one ask than to have made a thing of beauty and joy forever ? Every year the demands for competent persons in this almost new profession are increasing. The American people are fast seeing that the work requires a true artist. With a large wealthy class desiring beautiful country homes, what better chance to choose a life work that shall be a source of pleasure as well as of profit? 24

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Landscape Art IN American history the last fifty years of the nineteenth century will shine as an epoch in which science and practice made such progress in terrestial economy as the world has never before equaled, and it is but natural that the tidal wave of advanced thought, which struck our shores, should seize upon neglected art, — always susceptible to improving influences, — and raise her from a bemeaned position to the level abroad. Our forefathers, the sturdy Pilgrims, were of necessity too much en- grossed with the needs of the hearth to foster any aesthetic tastes they may have had, and, troubled as they were with Indian surprises, they soon came to learn that the ideal dooryard ornament was an impregnable stockade. The next two generations of our American ancestry made but little advance in out-of-door art, which is but natural since they had not been educated in it, — having none before them, — and also since they were constrained from learning of the possibilities of the art from abi ' oad, travel being so expensive and tedious that few touring trips were made. But then came the change ; steamboats and railroads having made travel even enjoyable, there was a great influx of American tourists to all parts of the Old World. They found European cities embellished with numerous parks and boulevards, where the people, wearied by the toil of six days, enjoyed the seventh midst green fields and God ' s free sunshine. With the return of these tourists, with memories of the beauty of Paris and the gardens of Old England, our own cities began to wear little plots of green, mere tufts of grass in walls of stone though they were. Finding pleasure in these, the people began to clamor for larger areas ; and so has the cry kept on, each year swelling and growing, until now it almost appears impossible to appease it. Not only have our cities gone into park-making with eagerness, but also many of our wealth}- citizens ; so that at the present day we have many estates that compare favorably with Europe ' s best in their landscape qualities. This advance has been brought about by a comparatively small body of artists engaged in the work, who have given their lives to it with the devotion of the painter to his canvas. 23

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