Episode 2070 | The Picturesque at Lake George

The discussion surrounding the French pittoresque and the Italian pittoresco reveals the extent to which each culture influenced the perception of “the picturesque” in art and aesthetics. In its basic form, pittoresco in Italian indicated “worthy of being painted.” That is to say; it highlighted the natural visual interest, the vivid detail, and the scenes which were of direct appeal to the artist’s eye. On the other hand, the French version, pittoresque, advanced the term into a more theoretical category which was linked not only to taste but also to composition and the principles of aesthetic judgment. Hence, the French version was more philosophical and systematically whereas the Italian term was still connected to the practice of art and observation. This, in turn, led to a historical debate whether the picturesque was to be seen as a property of the real landscapes (Italian) or as a frame for evaluating beauty (French).

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