USING SCULPTURE IN ITALIAN GARDENS by Jonathan Radford, garden designer

A garden designer has two choices while embarking on an Italian garden design, either in Italy or in any other part of the world. Garden designers can opt for the natural Italian garden approach and concentrate on using sculpture made from natural materials,such as local stone, terracotta, brass or even wood. sculpture of this kind should ideally aim at underlining or emphasizing some of the existing characteristics of the site.
Alternatively, within a more formal setting, the garden designer can address and compliment the more classical, formal aspect of Italian garden design by using stunning white marble statues. This kind of elegance and formality is clearly enhanced by a formal, elegant setting, ideally amongst formal, clipped hedging laid out in a symmetrical design.
Italian history and the strong presence of art in Italian gardens over the centuries offers the garden designer in Italy many nuances with numerous opportunities. There are many strong and visually symbolic art works that instantly underline Italian culture and everything Italian. Garden designers often design gardens with the aim of re-creating a classical Italian garden style.

Modern attempts at designing Italian gardens often deploy the use of sculpture in both formal and informal, classical and contemporary but all too often the use of sculpture is exaggerated and chosen with poor taste. However, just as many representations and perceptions of the typical Italian garden style are correct, many can be enhanced by simply using the correct style of sculpture.

For many centuries elaborate sculpture has featured as a compulsory element of Italian garden design, especially in the neo-classical Italian garden design. There have been several, glorious periods during Italy's grand history that have placed a strong emphasis on the use of sculpture, particularly the Renaissance period.

From the 14th to the 16th century, during the Italian Renaissance artists were given great exposure and sculpture was a fundamental element in garden designs all across Europe in that period. Sculptures carved painstakingly from marble, limestone and alabaster filled European gardens during this period and suited the style, grandeur and classicism of such early Italian gardens perfectly.

Clearly, in modern interpretations of the Italian style garden, grand pieces of Renaissance sculpture can still be included. However, they can easily dominate their site and often appear pretentious if the context of the garden in which they are placed is large enough to accomodate them or is worthy enough to merit their presence.

As a garden designer living here in Italy I all too often witness sculpture being overused in gardens, which lack the necessary dimensions or style to set them off effectively. Understandably, if one has created a formal, classical Italian garden with strong and precise styling such specific Renaissance sculpture can be used to cultivate and accentuate the Italian feel to great effect!

There can be no better way of bringing Italy in to your back yard than by adding a wall fountain. The cool trickle of water will bring the sensuous Italian summer to your own back yard, whisking you off to the cool courtyards of Rome or Napoli - without even leaving your own back yard!

by Jonathan Radford, garden designer