Abstract
The ＂Garden City＂ is an important concept in Urban History. Proposed by British social reformer Sir Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928), and with an economy based on agriculture, it aimed to create a less populated city with more greenery, thus solving at the same time the problems of polluted and crowded cities on the one hand, and the depopulated countryside on the other. The world's first Garden City was built in Letchworth, north of London, in 1903. In Art History, only avant-garde artist Spencer Gore's (1878-1914) paintings of Letchworth Garden City have received much attention. However, local artist William Whitehead Ratcliffe (1870-1955) produced the most paintings of Letchworth Garden City (more than 60, while Gore produced 20 or so) over the longest span of time (almost 30 years, whereas Gore spent only one summer). Compared to Gore, who painted with Post-Impressionist brushstrokes, Ratcliffe who was also a member of the avant-garde group, tended to paint simpler compositions using lighter colors. Based on first-hand archive materials, this paper will conduct a detailed visual analysis and interpretation of Ratcliffe's paintings. I will also compare Gore's and Ratcliffe's works. I will argue that Ratcliffe's simpler style may constitute a better representation of the local life and people of Letchworth Garden City. Besides these considerations, the idea of a garden city is often heard in contemporary Taiwan. This shows that we expect our urban environment to improve and to have more greenery, like a garden city. Therefore, this paper, focusing on the landscape imagery of the world' first Garden City, is of interest to Taiwanese readers. Additionally, many contemporary artists use cityscape and private space as the subject-matter for their artistic creations. Following this, this paper, which analyzes and discusses Ratcliffe's works, may also provide some food for thought.