"The Prospect To The Gardens Of The Hon.ble James Johnston Esq. His House At Twittenham 1710 P.77" (SOLD)
Price on Request
Print Sz: 15"H x 10"W
Frame Sz: 22 3/4"H x 17 5/8"W
w/ blue French matte & ornate gilt wood frame
The print is a 1715 folio plate originally published in Vitruvius Britannicus, a landmark architectural treatise by the Scottish architect Colen Campbell.
The Subject: It illustrates the garden elevation ("prospect") of the villa built in 1710 for James Johnston, the former Secretary of State for Scotland. The house was designed by John James and later became known as Orleans House.
The Inscription: "The Prospect To The Gardens Of The Hon.ble James Johnston Esq. His House At Twittenham 1710 P.77" is the exact title engraved on the plate, with "Twittenham" being the archaic spelling of Twickenham. "P. 77" denotes its plate page assignment in the folio publication.
"The Prospect To The Gardens Of The Hon.ble James Johnston Esq. His House At Twittenham" is an early 18th-century architectural engraving depicting the riverside Twickenham villa and formal gardens of James "Secretary" Johnston.
Historical Context
The Owner: James Johnston (1655–1737) served as the Secretary of State for Scotland and retired to his Twickenham property (later known as Orleans House) to focus on landscape design, architecture, and gardening.
The Estate: Johnston laid out extensive pleasure grounds featuring formal parterres, canals, a grotto, and a wilderness. The property later gained fame for its magnificent Octagon Room designed by architect James Gibbs.
The Print: Representations of the estate appeared in foundational architectural surveys of the era, illustrating the symmetrical and refined Anglo-Dutch taste in garden and villa design popular among the early 18th-century English elite.