FORMAL GARDENS

A Celebration of Geometry, Symmetry, and Heritage across Europe • 2004–2025 Projects

Chateau de Fleury en Biere Garden Urn Color Print

Château de Fleury-en-Bière, France: Urn on the Parterre (Color)

hateau de Sceaux French Garden Black and White Print

Château de Sceaux, France: Magical Gardens Architectural Study #1 (Black & White)

William Curtis Rolf black and white photography classical statue sculptured yew boxwood Chateau de Sceaux France Formal Gardens Portfolio

Château de Sceaux, France: Magical Gardens Architectural Study 2 (Black & White)

Henbury Hall Cheshire Formal Garden Obelisk Color Print

Henbury Hall, Cheshire, England: Geometric Garden Study (Color)

Chateau de Sceaux French Garden Parterre Color Print

Château de Sceaux, France: Le Parterre (Color)

William Curtis Rolf black and white photography Chateau de Sceaux Le Parterre formal garden landscape France Formal Gardens Portfolio

Château de Sceaux, France: Le Parterre (Black & White)

Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte Garden Optical Illusion Fine Art Print

Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, France: Garden Optical Illusion Study (Color)

Chateau de Fontainebleau French Garden Canal Black and White Print

Château de Fontainebleau, France: Sculpture & Canal (Black & White)

Versailles France Orangerie Parterre Garden Color Print

Château de Versailles, France: View of Orangerie Parterre, Study 1 (Color)

William Curtis Rolf black and white photography Versailles Orangerie parterre aerial view landscape architecture France Formal Gardens Portfolio

Château de Versailles, France: Orangerie Parterre Aerial Study 2 (Black & White)

Villa I Tatti Florence Italian Garden Color Print

Villa I Tatti, Florence: Renaissance Gardens Study 1 (Color)

Chateau de Courances French Garden Parterre Color Print

Château de Courances, France: Garden & Parterre (Color)

Chateau de Courances Maisonette Canal Color Print

Château de Courances, France: Maisonette & Canal (Color)

Chateau de Sceaux French Garden Study 3 Black and White Print

Château de Sceaux, France: Magical Gardens Architectural Study #3 (Black & White)

Chateau de Courances Front Canal Autumn Color Print

Château de Courances, France: Front Canal Autumn Hues (Color)

Color photograph of classical flower urns in the formal gardens of Château de Courson, France, surrounded by manicured greenery.

Château de Courson, France: Flower Urns in Classical French Garden Architectural Study (Color)

Black‑and‑white photograph of a mythological statue in the classical French gardens of Château du Grand‑Lucé, France.

Château du Grand‑Lucé, France: Mythological Garden Statue Architectural Study (Black & White)

William Curtis Rolf color photography Chateau de Champlatreux formal garden stone urn boxwood topiary staircase France Formal Gardens Portfolio

Château de Champlâtreux, France: Sculptural Stone Urns & Boxwood Spheres (Color)

Château du Grand-Lucé, France-Architectural Study of  Classical French Gardens, 2010 (Color)

Château du Grand-Lucé, France-Architectural Study of Classical French Gardens, 2010 (Color)

Black‑and‑white photograph of geometric boxwoods and yews in the gardens of Château de Versailles, France, with the palace and Orangery in the background under dramatic clouds.

Château de Versailles, France: Formal Garden Geometry — Architectural Study 3 (Black & White)

Chateau de Fontainebleau View Through Alley Black and White Print

Château de Fontainebleau: View of Chateau Through the Alley Study 2 (Black & White)

Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte Panoramic Perspective Fine Art Print

Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, France: Panoramic Perspective Study (Black & White)

Chateau de Fontainebleau Figure Tree Alley Color Print

Château de Fontainebleau, France: Figure in Tree-Lined Alley Study 1 (Color)

Chateau de Fontainebleau Fountain Autumn Color Print

Château de Fontainebleau, France: Fountain in Autumn Architectural Study 1 (Color)

Formal Gardens: Classical European Estate Landscapes

Gathered over twenty years of photographic sessions across France, England, and Italy, the collection explores the geometric harmony where classical architecture and landscape design converge. The photographs document layouts built on clear structure, geometric shapes, and a symmetrical layout that creates a sense of order and balance. Within this archive, William Curtis Rolf views Europe’s formal gardens as grand open-air reception rooms.

The photographer's lens captures how manicured walkways, topiary hedges, and weathered masonry counterbalance the permanent lines of historic châteaux, villas, and country houses. Using crisp linear perspective and soft natural light, each composition translates these living monuments into sophisticated, structural fine art prints.

Grand‑scale prints from the archival collection are held in prestigious private collections worldwide. Our studio collaborates closely with architectural firms, art consultants, and design professionals to tailor exhibition‑scale formats, spatial integration, and trade pricing for each project.