A specially-commissioned contemporary artwork to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the great Landscape designer Capability Brown. Inspired by Brown’s designed landscape as a series of picturesque views, or scenes, this project invites the visitors to Wimpole to follow in the footsteps of Amabel, a member of the Yorke family who immersed herself in the new parkland, and made it the subject of her art. The installation consists of nine three metre high structures, part easel and part viewing glass, and encourage visitors to explore the North Park and look with an artist’s eye.
The viewing glass was inspired by a portable drawing aid called a Claude glass which was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was used by landscape artists and tourists to frame a view. Our overscale version worked in the same way: each captures a different element of Brown’s landscape design, allowing the visitor to discover the features that make up the whole composition.
This project was part of Trust New Art, the National Trust's programme connecting people to our places through contemporary arts.