Lord Findlater and His Impact on Continental Landscaping

Abstract

James Ogilvy, the 7th Earl of Findlater and 4th Earl of Seafield, was born on 10 April 1750 at Huntingtower Castle near Perth, the home of his maternal grandparents. He grew up in Cullen, Banffshire, the seat of his father known as Lord Deskford. His career coincided with the development of the picturesque in garden design, a style inspired by the landscape paintings of French artists such as Claude Lorrain and Nicholas Poussin. The picturesque was an aesthetic entity to which prospects and vistas were vital. He made fourteen visits to Carlsbad between 1793 and 1810, and to him the town owes much of its development, not only due to numerous beautifications of the surroundings of the city but also due to substantial donations to the social institutions.