Search the Collection

Lancelot ('Capability') Brown

(1716-1783), Landscape gardener

Mid-Georgian Portraits Catalogue Entry

Sitter in 4 portraits
'Capability' Brown was the most successful eighteenth-century landscape designer. He began working as a gardener in his native Northumberland and became William Kent's assistant at Stowe, Buckinghamshire before striking out on his own. From 1749 he worked independently, mainly as a landscape gardener. He worked for an impressive range of clients and told them that their estates had great 'capabilities'. He remoulded the parks around country houses with gentle slopes and serpentine lakes. His designs set a fashion for open, naturalistic landscapes, populated by grazing herds and punctuated by eye-catching buildings.

Watch a film clip on the sitter from the BBC Archive in the Media section below

Tell us More

List Thumbnail

Capability Brown, by Nathaniel Dance (later Sir Nathaniel Holland, Bt) - NPG 6049

Capability Brown

by Nathaniel Dance (later Sir Nathaniel Holland, Bt)
oil on canvas, circa 1773
NPG 6049

Capability Brown, after Nathaniel Dance (later Sir Nathaniel Holland, Bt) - NPG 1490

Capability Brown

after Nathaniel Dance (later Sir Nathaniel Holland, Bt)
oil on canvas, based on a work from late 1770s
NPG 1490

Capability Brown, by John Keyse Sherwin, after Nathaniel Dance (later Sir Nathaniel Holland, Bt) - NPG D16434

Capability Brown

by John Keyse Sherwin, after Nathaniel Dance (later Sir Nathaniel Holland, Bt)
line and stipple engraving, 1770-1790 (circa 1769)
NPG D16434

Web image not currently available

Capability Brown

by John Keyse Sherwin, after Nathaniel Dance (later Sir Nathaniel Holland, Bt)
line and stipple engraving, 1770-1790 (circa 1769)
NPG D20332

Category

Groups

Places

Links

Media

Tell us more back to top

Can you tell us more about this person? Spotted an error, information that is missing (a sitter’s life dates, occupation or family relationships, or a date of portrait for example) or do you know anything that we don't know? If you have information to share please complete the form below.

If you require information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service. If you wish to license an image, please use our Rights and Images service.

Please note that we cannot provide valuations.

We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.

What can you tell us?close

There are occasions when we are unsure of the identity of a sitter or artist, their life dates, occupation or have not recorded their family relationships. Sometimes we have not recorded the date of a portrait. Do you have specialist knowledge or a particular interest about any aspect of the portrait or sitter or artist that you can share with us? We would welcome any information that adds to and enhances our information and understanding about a particular portrait, sitter or artist.

Citationclose

How do you know this? Please could you let us know your source of information.

* Permission to publish (Privacy information)
Privacy Informationclose

The National Portrait Gallery will NOT use your information to contact you or store for any other purpose than to investigate or display your contribution. By ticking permission to publish you are indicating your agreement for your contribution to be shown on this collection item page. Please note your email address will not be displayed on the page nor will it be used for any marketing material or promotion of any kind.

Please ensure your comments are relevant and appropriate. Your contributions must be polite and with no intention of causing trouble. All contributions are moderated.

Your Emailclose

Contributions are moderated. We'll need your email address so that we can follow up on the information provided and contact you to let you know when your contribution has been published.