The Language of the Landscape: a journey into Lake District history

intriguing are the brief but revealing notes on the fortunes of each property in the centuries that followed Kip’s visit. The residue of these estates can be seen in public parks, housing developments, schools, and even wedding venues, testifying to the long-reaching significance of the nation’s country houses on the national landscape. Yet, alongside this sense of continuity, the reader is struck by the contrast between the sense of cohesion and resolution conveyed in Kip’s oeuvre, and our confused and conflicted relationship with topography that shapes much of the built environment today. The clarity and confidence that defines both the subject and execution of Kip’s engravings may therefore account for their popularity among contemporary audiences and make the publication of this particular collection all the more timely. In addition to the views of gentlemen’s houses and estates, the collection also includes his map and prospect of the City of Gloucester and view of Gloucester Cathedral. The result is a uniquely large, early and detailed study of one county’s physical, social and economic character. Published on the tercentenary of Kip’s death, with the addition of Jones’s insightful commentary, The Gloucestershire Engravings constitutes a welcome and valuable reappraisal of both the artist’s vision and the county’s topographical history.