Paul Decker (1677-1713) was a German architect and theorist who studied under Andreas Schülter (1664-1714). Decker was a court architect at Bayreuth and well-known for his fanciful and grand Baroque designs as seen in Princely Architect. Shown here is the water section of a princely pleasure garden.
Pleasure gardens originated in ancient Rome as private gardens, but later periods saw an increase in their development as public gardens. Pleasure gardens were particularly popular during the 17th and 18th centuries, and served as a site for many types of public entertainment, including musical and theatrical performances. The structure of these gardens relied on tree-lined allées to delineate distinct types of space, which often included pools, fountains, ornamental buildings, and various types of decorative planting schemes.
Jan van der Groen (ca.1635-1672) was a Dutch gardener who authored a number of popular gardening manuals in the late 17th century. Shown here are knot garden or parterre sample patterns and designs, as well as a two-page spread providing examples of these sculpted hedges in relation to the home.
- Fürstlicher Baumeister (Princely Architect) by Paul Decker. Augspurg: Verlegt von J. Wolff, Gedruckt bey P. Detleffsen, 1711-1716.
- Jardinier de Pays-Bas (Gardens of the Netherlands) by Jan van der Groen. London: J. Robbins, 1824-1840.
- Jardinier de Pays-Bas (Gardens of the Netherlands) by Jan van der Groen. London: J. Robbins, 1824-1840.