Człowiek w ogrodzie

Abstract

The author takes into consideration the problem of the garden, analysing this phenomenon in many different ways: as a location, as a state of arrangement, as a symbol, as a metaphor, as a means of artistic expression, as a figure of literary expression, and to some extent as an object of academic exploration. The garden is not merely the literality of garden inventory, is also the manifestation of the ineffable, which bothers, delights, and inspires. Therefore, in the garden, above the surface of literality, there is an abyssal layer where the garden becomes a phenomenon for us, so we approach it in a diversified way, and we confine its multiplicity in various concepts. The subject of the garden, investigated from a broad perspective — as in the context of the history of art or technical or botanical developments, is extremely extensive. Despite the fact that in every culture, in every epoch these concepts have been developed in a different way and for a different purpose, they have always been and to this day are an important space of a human world and a cultural and religious symbol of all civilization. Since they have played an exceptional role in human life since the very beginning, it is not surprising that from the start they have been the source of inspiration for artists and religious experiences of mystics. Therefore, the author of the present article takes a look at various aspects connected with the problem of the garden, i.a. cultural determinants, the symbols, spirituality, and the aesthetics of landscaping on the example of selected epochs. The author also emphasizes the presence of the problem in literature and personal impressions. The key problem here is the relation between man, nature, and culture, and their mutual influences.