Episode 2054 | Diving into the Picturesque

What makes a landscape beautiful — is it something already in nature, orsomething we create with our imagination? In this episode, we explorethe idea of the picturesque through Nathaniel Parker Willis’s vivid 1840description of Lake George. From jagged cliffs and dramatic peaks to thesmooth curves of water and shoreline, we discuss how writers andpainters shaped the way Americans learned to “see” nature. Along theway, we debate French vs. Italian roots of the term, uncover the blurredline between beauty and ugliness, and connect Willis’s words to HudsonRiver School paintings — and even Instagram today. Tune in and discoverhow the art of framing a scene has always shaped our vision of beauty

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