From: Darryl Baird (dbaird@flint.umich.edu)
Date: 02/13/01-02:40:53 AM Z
The term "picturesque" is loaded with meaning, some rooted in traditions
dating back to the late 17th century, others seem of a more recent and
convoluted derivation. The picturesque in art is rooted in the Romantic
period and before, when the notion of nature contained beauty , the
sublime, and elements of terror (uncontrolled nature). Landscape
designers/architects of the 18th century, particularly in England -- the
English School of Landscape began creating grand landscape designs for
wealthy landowners, others were created by wealthy landowners themselves
(the designs). Some famous landscape gardens come to mind, Stourhead,
Prior Park,, etc. Also, one of the reasons there are so many old castle
ruins still standing in England is the belief that ruins added to the
picturesque quality of the "scene." I think most photographers would
agree with that sentiment.
Well known designers include Capability Brown and Humphrey Repton. Brown
was the earliest of the two, and created vast designs which included
rivers, streams, lakes, hills, bridges, massive tree removal and
replanting and even the destruction and rebuilding of a village if it
wasn't "right" in its original site for the "picture." The term
"picturesque" followings the tradition of landscape painting, where the
artist had control over the final scene, removing and adding features as
needed to complete the "picture." Designers saw themselves as artists
following this tradition... on a grander scale. Instead of painting a
landscape, they created a landscape as a painting might be seen from
many vantage points, especially the client's manor house. (There were
even "show" farms created to make the landscape look more productive.)
Interestingly, the camera obscura had greatly impacted painters' sense
and renditions of space for several centuries, so in a wonderfully
circular way cameras impacted painters, who impacted landscape
designers, who impacted photographers. England is overloaded with the
"picturesque." I'd venture to say the English understand the meaning
even if they do not know the word or its history.
PH Emerson's pictorialist work is rooted in another tradition --
Naturalism. Here nature is pure and truthful and delivered by God. HP
Robinson's work was not true to nature and dismissed as against the true
calling of photography.
As you might guess, this is an area of special interest to me
-- Darryl Baird
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