Western architecture has laid claim to being the 'mother of the arts', because it has a maternal role in regard to sculpture, painting, caligraphy and many of the decorative arts. Andrea Palladio explained the role of virtue in architecture by presenting Regina Virtus, the Queen of Virtue on the frontispiece to each of his four books on architecture. She sits as mother of the arts. The frontispiece does not place her in a landscape setting but an interesting in designing architecture in relation to landscape, as had been done in classical times, is one of the distinguishing features of Palladio's work.
But eastern architecture, in the opinion of John Julius Norwich (Great Architecture of the World (1991) has not aspired to the same position: 'In China, whence sprang a tradition of wooden building which was adopted throughout eastern Asia, architecture cannot claim to be the mother of the arts'.
Landscape architecture, because it encompasses architecture, is the more fundamental art. With the ever-increasing importance of environmental concerns, its status can only grow. In future, every building will have to be designed with careful regard to landform, water, vegetation, climate and the use of outdoor space by the community.
It could also be claimed, with justice, that in the layout of China's imperial parks and scholar gardens, architecture was always to second place to landscape considerations.
