The English gardens in the Southern Low Countries under the influence of the Enlightenment

The lecture is based on the thesis researchs (Uliege, 2015) and publication on the English Gardens (Académie royale, 2022) with focus on their architectural features (follies), the influence of China and the botanic selections. In the Southern Low Countries, the european mutation from the regular design to the irregular drawing – so called « English gardens » – manifests itself as early as 1761 and marks globaly the four last decades of the 18th Century.
This aesthetic and botanic revolution concerns all the elements of their composition. The complexity of the programs reflects a complete renewal of the sources of inspiration and an amazing curiosity toward the elements of nature driven both by philosophical and botanical interests. The enthusiasm for introducing foreign plants leads to the constitution of numerous collections contributing to the creation of totally exotic scenaries in the garden giving the visitor the sensation of crossing far-off lands. These botanical and horticultural interests appear as the antichamber for the scientific developments that will make the name of the young Belgium in the international network of the 19th century.