PhD ceremony R.L. RADETZKY (AiS), Tuinarchitect L. P. Roodbaard (1782-1851) en de landschapsstijl

R.L. (Rita) Radetzky will defend her doctoral thesis on Thursday 4 March 2021.

Tuinarchitect L.P. Roodbaard (1782-1851) en de landschapsstijl

Promotores:

• Prof. Ir. M. Spek
• Prof. Y.B. Kuiper

The landscape architect Lucas Pieters Roodbaard (Rolde 1782-Leeuwarden 1851), representing the landscape style, made a significant contribution to garden design in the Netherlands. He virtually had the monopoly of constructing gardens and parks for the elite and authorities in Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe between 1819 and 1851. The work of major architects in England, Germany and the Netherlands has been examined in order to position him in the wider context of landscape architecture in Northwestern Europe. Starting in England, the landscape style spread to the continent from around 1750.

Roodbaard’s biography has been described emphasising his education and expertise. Originally he was a gardener, portrait painter and from 1819 landscape architect for country houses. The network relations of the patrons and the appreciation of his work have been focused on.

Roodbaard’s oeuvre, drawing style and the influence by colleagues have been examined. His work reflects the influence of the sample book by colleague Gijsbert van Laar and, through him, the influence of German landscape architects and theorists. Roodbaard was able to develop an individual style in which his visual ability as a draftsman and painter prevailed. A new addition is the study of his working method and the implementation of the projects based on so far unknown archive material and descriptions of contemporary authors.

Although Roodbaard did not train successors, his work found imitation and appreciation. The latter has been recorded in ego-documents and travel accounts of contemporaries but most striking is the appreciation from his well-known colleague Leonard Springer.

The University Library publishes the thesis digitally after the defence ceremony.