Picturesque

A view of the Roman Campagna from Tivoli, evening (1644-5); Claude Gellée, called Le Lorrain

Turner Tintern1

Claude Lorrain - An Artist Studying from Nature - Google Art Project

Albano Laziale -La Villa Doria

Kew Gardens Pagoda

Parc des Buttes Chaumont Alphand 1867

Picturesque is an aesthetic ideal introduced into English cultural debate in 1782 by William Gilpin in Observations on the River Wye, and Several Parts of South Wales, etc. relative chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the summer of the year 1770. The term picturesque, meaning literally "in the manner of a picture; fit to be made into a picture", and used as early as the 1700s, refers to a view or scene that is artistically beautiful, but with a rugged, irregular, or charmingly rough quality that sets it apart from the purely beautiful or sublime. The picturesque aesthetic was a crucial aspect of the larger Romantic movement, which emphasized intense emotional engagement with art and nature, often favoring the wild, untamed aspects of natural scenery that were seen as offering a more profound aesthetic experience than the manicured landscapes of the time.

History and Development

The concept of the picturesque evolved in the context of debates about landscape aesthetics in the 18th century. Before Gilpin’s work, the idea of landscape beauty was primarily discussed in terms of the sublime and the beautiful. The sublime was associated with awe-inspiring, vast, and powerful scenes, while the beautiful was linked to harmonious, gentle, and pleasing landscapes. Gilpin’s picturesque introduced a middle ground, advocating for the appreciation of landscapes that were irregular, varied, and textured, thus providing a more complex visual experience.

Gilpin’s picturesque was not just a theoretical construct; it had practical implications for the landscape architecture and garden design of the period. It influenced the work of landscape architects such as Lancelot "Capability" Brown and Humphry Repton, who began to incorporate elements of the picturesque into their designs, creating landscapes that appeared more natural and less structured than the formal gardens of the earlier part of the 18th century.

Characteristics

The picturesque aesthetic values textures, irregularity, and contrasts between the rough and smooth. It often seeks out scenes that might be considered too rough or untidy for traditional notions of beauty, such as ruined buildings, rugged mountains, and tangled woodlands. The picturesque is closely associated with visual art, especially landscape painting and sketching, which were seen as mediums that could capture the transient effects of light and atmosphere on the landscape.

Influence

The concept of the picturesque had a significant impact on the arts, especially in the realm of landscape painting, where artists like J.M.W. Turner and John Constable were influenced by picturesque principles in their depictions of the natural world. The picturesque also played a role in the development of tourism in the 18th and 19th centuries, as people began to travel in search of landscapes that matched Gilpin’s descriptions, leading to the early days of the tourist industry.

Criticism

The picturesque was not without its critics. Some saw it as promoting a superficial appreciation of nature, focused on aesthetic qualities rather than a deeper understanding or experience of the natural world. Others argued that the picturesque gaze transformed the landscape into a commodity, something to be consumed visually, which could lead to the exploitation and degradation of natural sites.

Legacy

Despite these criticisms, the picturesque has had a lasting influence on how we perceive and value landscapes. It contributed to the emergence of the national park movement in the 19th century, as efforts to preserve natural landscapes were often motivated by a desire to maintain their picturesque qualities. Today, the concept of the picturesque continues to inform discussions about environmental conservation, heritage, and the role of aesthetics in our engagement with the natural world.