The Curious Craze of Ornamental Hermits in 18th Century England

During the 18th century, a peculiar trend arose among wealthy English landowners: hiring “ornamental hermits” to live in isolation within their estate gardens. These hermits were expected to adhere to strict rules, such as not speaking and never leaving the estate for years. This eccentric trend, which spanned roughly from 1727 to 1830, was a response to a shift in gardening styles, transitioning from geometrically aligned designs to more natural, wild gardens.
  

Key Points: 

1. Wealthy 18th-century English aristocrats hired ornamental hermits to live in seclusion on their estates, sometimes for as long as seven years. They would reward them with considerable sums if terms were met.
2. This trend, which peaked between 1727 and 1830, was tied to a change in gardening aesthetics, valuing “the irregularities and asymmetry of nature” over meticulously pruned designs.
3. While some estates employed actual hermits, others merely used symbolic items like open books or eyeglasses to suggest the presence of a hermit.
4. Historians have various theories for the rise of ornamental hermits, ranging from seeking moral superiority through natural living to aristocrats aiming to acquire legitimacy by emulating old landowners.
5. By the early 19th century, the trend waned due to concerns over exploitative conditions, but the allure of isolated thinkers persists in modern times, evidenced by artists like David Blandy, who lived as a hermit for a project in the 2000s.

Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/ornamental-hermits-were-18th-century-englands-must-have-garden-accessory-180982469/