“An Afternoon at the Park” — 36 Beautiful Paintings of Public Parks
The first parks were royal deer parks — large tracts of land set aside for hunting by royalty and the aristocracy.
Hyde Park in London, for example, was originally Henry VIII’s private deer chase.
Deer in a Clearing by Albert Bierstadt (1830 – 1902)
Royal preserves evolved into landscaped parks of country houses and mansions—serving not just as hunting grounds, but also symbols of wealth and status.
Country House in a Park by Jacob van Ruisdael, 1670
During the 18th century, Britain became the world’s dominant colonial power and wealthy landed gentry wanted landscaped grounds around their country estates.
As master Gardener at Hampton Court Palace, Lancelot Capability Brown was one of the most prominent landscape architects. He would often tell clients that their estates had great “capability” for landscape, earning him the nickname “Capability Brown”.
Stone arch bridge in Stourhead. Credit Hans Bernhard
Pemberley in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is thought to be modeled after Chatsworth House—a stately home in Derbyshire—the grounds of which were another of Capability Brown’s projects.
In the 19th century, cities grew more crowded, and the old royal hunting grounds were opened to the public.
Kensington Gardens, London by Camille Pissarro, 1890
Rapid industrialization brought with it the need to set aside additional areas of land within cities for public enjoyment.
Having access to a natural environment was seen as a way to improve conditions for factory workers, provide better public health, and promote an amicable public gathering place.
What incredible foresight the Victorians had — a 2001 study conducted in the Netherlands found that a ten percent increase in nearby green space decreased a person’s health complaints in an amount equal to a five-year reduction in age.
It’s hard to imagine cities like New York, London, Paris, Boston, and San Francisco without parks today.
Join us as we take an artist’s tour of parks and recreation while listening to Flower Duet from Lakme (Affiliate link).
In the Park, Paris by Childe Hassam, 1889Central Park by Childe Hassam, 1892Prospect Park, Brooklyn by William Merritt Chase, 1887Hyde Park, London by Camille Pissarro, 1890The Park by William Merritt Chase, 1887The Park by William Merritt Chase, 1887A May Morning in the Park by Thomas Eakins, 1880In Central Park, New York by Maurice Prendergast, 1901
Tompkins Park, Brooklyn by William Merritt Chase, 1887The Coronation Procession, Hyde Park by Stanley Clare Grayson, 1853In the Park – a By-Path by William Merritt Chase, 1890Park Monceau, Paris by Claude Monet, 1876The Drive, Central Park by William James Glackens, 1905Park Monceau by Claude Monet, 1878Central Park by Maurice Prendergast, 1901In the Park by Konstantin Makovsky, 1881
Bank of a Lake in Central Park by William Merritt Chase, 1890Mrs. Chase in Prospect Park by William Merritt Chase, 1886Prospect Park, Brooklyn by William Merritt Chase, 1887Park Monceau by Claude Monet, 1878The Mall, Central Park by Maurice Prendergast, 1901Terrace at the Mall, Central Park by William Merritt Chase, 1890Children in the Park, Boston by Frederick Childe Hassam (1859 – 1935)Entrance to the Voyer-d’Argenson Park at Asnieres by Vincent van Gogh, 1887
Boston Common by Childe Hassam, 1891In the Park by Eugene Jansson, 1888Descending the Steps, Central Park by Frederick Childe Hassam, 1895In the Park by Alexei Bogoliubov, 1872In Central Park, New York by Maurice Prendergast, 1901In the Park by Ion Andreescu, (1850 – 1882)
Afternoon in the Park by Alfred Émile Léopold Stevens, 1885
Spring, Grammercy Park by John French Sloan, 1912
In St Cloud Park by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1866
In the Park by Andrei Shilder, 1886
Woman in the Park by Ion Theodorescu-Sion, 1919
Moonlight on the lake Roundhay Park Leeds by John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836 – 1893)
