The European Classical Landscape Form of Le Nôtre
In the 17th century, a remarkable figure emerged in the history of gardening, introducing a new style of French and European garden design – André Le Nôtre (1613-1700). It was he who pioneered the French garden style, which China refers to as classical gardens. Le Nôtre's garden designs retained some elements of the Italian Renaissance villas but recombined them in France in a more open, splendid, grandiose, and symmetrical way, creating a more noble type of garden. He pursued a serene and expansive landscape, unified yet varied, with magnificent and awe-inspiring scenery. In China's Old Summer Palace (Yuanming Yuan), due to Emperor Qianlong's curiosity, there was also the construction of the Western-style buildings imitating French gardens.
Tracing the development and changes in the field of garden design over the past century, it is evident that all styles have had a broad influence on modern gardens. Building upon the evolution of garden landscapes from the previous century, numerous design styles emerged in various European countries during the 20th century, giving rise to several highly influential schools of thought.