A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO DONATED! AS WE ARE ABOUT TO REACH THE DEADLINE: More info can be found on how this project IS going forward despite its target not having been reached, with offline donations being accepted afterwards until at least March 2016 - for details ... see http://www.laurydizengremel.com/Lancelot_Capability_Brown_sculpture.html

There is not a single whole figure sculpture of Lancelot "Capability" Brown in the whole of the UK, whereas in France there are a great many statues of his earlier counterpart, French landscape designer Andre LeNotre, who created intricate gardens a 100 years before Lancelot "Capability" Brown wove his magic on the English landscape in the 18th century.

Heritage Lottery funding was given to create a Brown 300 Festival, see www.capabilitybrown.org, to celebrate the Tercentenary of his birth in 2016. Events are planned all over the UK next year but there is no statue of Brown in the calendar.

Help us to create a bronze sculpture of Lancelot "Capability" Brown for permanent public display in England

Your contributions will remedy this oversight and allow a historically accurate sculpture of Lancelot "Capability" Brown to be created and to be gifted to the nation.

Who are we? Mr. Richard Jackson, an architect, garden designer and writer based in Hammersmith, London where Brown lived for 13 years after his period at Stowe plus award-winning sculptor Laury Dizengremel, artist in residence at Belvoir Castle where the last known plans of 'Capability' Brown were discovered two years ago, plus Laury's husband videographer Joe Caneen are working together to ensure fundraising for the project is successful. Laury will then create the whole figure lifesize sculpture and cast it in bronze.

Who was Brown? Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown changed the face of 18th century England, designing landscapes for country estates and mansions, moving hills and making flowing lakes and serpentine rivers: we want to ensure he lives on in lasting form for everyone to see. He was dubbed 'Capability' as he saw the "capability" existing in the landscapes he was asked to work on. Brown was recently the subject of a three episode TV series "Alan Titchmarsh on Capability Brown" and is the subject of the Duchess of Rutland's latest book,  "Capability Brown & Belvoir" as well as a forthcoming book by the leading Brown expert John Phibbs, "The Art of Capability Brown: Place-making 1716-1783".

Working method to create the Lancelot 'Capability' Brown statue: Having been involved in Her Grace's work to implement plans by Brown for Belvoir Castle, award-winning international sculptor Laury Dizengremel (also artist-in-residence at Belvoir) will work from the only two paintings which portray Brown to create the statue: one by Nathaniel Dance in the National Portrait Gallery and one by Cosway in a Private Collection. Laury pledges: "I am also researching 18th century garb and mood to create a dynamic sculpture of one of England's geniuses. Consulting historians is part of the sculptor's work. Do please contribute to this project as casting is a very expensive process. I am keeping the costs as low as possible fo a public artwork considering there are also the costs of rewards".

What your donations will pay for: creating the lifesize sculpture of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown in clay, moulding it, then casting it in traditional lost-wax bronze with vandal-resistant fixings, patination of the bronze, waxing it for protection, delivering it to its permanent site, covering the costs of sub-foundation and fixing it securely in that public space, cost of an accompanying plaque with names of all donors above £100, costs of its unveiling, cost of funding your rewards (books, design & fabrication of a commemorative coin, making and casting of maquette-size 'Capability' Brown sculpture, etc.)

Above: an example of Laury's whole figure bronze sculptures, Sir George Carteret portrayed at heroic-size in 1664, which the sculptor created from a single painting by Sir Peter Lely. This was a public artwork commission unveiled in Jersey in September 2014.

Note that the Lancelot 'Capability' Brown sculpture will be lifesize rather than heroic-size and will be sited directly on the ground rather than on an elevated plinth. This will ensure the artwork is accessible to the public.

Where will the statue be placed?  We do not yet know for sure at time of launch. We hope the statue will be located in Hammersmith on the Mall by the Thames (in London) where Brown lived for 13 years. We are currently in talks with enthusiastic officials in that Borough, reaching out to resident groups in the Hammersmith area and hope to announce a firm location soon.

There are many rewards for your donations - and everyone who contributes £100 and over will have their name on the statue's accompanying plaque (unless you wish to remain anonymous).  Rewards include an invitation to the unveiling, limited edition bronze copy of the small maquette which Laury will make before creating the lifesize sculpture, books by the Duchess of Rutland and by the leading Brown expert John Phibbs and more.

Above: This is the beautifully illustrated coffee table sized book you will receive as one of your rewards for a donation of £250, whilst for a donation of £500 you will receive a second book by the leading Brown expert John Phibbs.

Above: the sculptor Laury Dizengremel and two maquette-sized sculptures of Sir George Carteret - in similar sizes and finishes to what you will be rewarded with, but of course portraying Lancelot 'Capability' Brown if you donate either £3000 (for a limited edition bronze maquette such as shown on left) or £1500 (for an unlimited edition bronze resin maquette such as shown on right). Remember - you are helping to fund the LIFESIZE SCULPTURE AS A PUBLIC ARTWORK with any sizeable donation of this type and you are receiving artworks worth respectively the same sums - only because the sculptor is willing to forego receiving the full amount of her usual copyright and artwork fees for the castings of these maquettes.

If a reward sounds attractive but you have a question about swapping one reward element for another, do not hesitate to get in touch by using the SEND MESSAGE button below on right!

Thank you for visiting our crowdfunding page.Please share this link to your friends if you have become as enthused about this project as we are!