Concept in Definition ABC

The word picturesque has several meanings and is used in different contexts. Below we present the two meanings of this term: as a descriptive concept of someone or something and as a characteristic of art.

Picturesque people, customs and places

If among a large number of individuals there is one of them with a very different clothing and at the same time eye-catching, someone is likely to claim that he is a picturesque type, implying that he is rare, extravagant and atypical.

When we travel to exotic countries and with traditions Very different from ours, surely the food, the way of dressing, the social uses or the decoration of the houses will call our attention. Faced with these novel situations that produce a certain impact, it will also be said that something is picturesque. In this sense, our own local customs will surely be valued as picturesque by others.

There are places that attract attention and somehow deserve to be painted. If an urban individual is in full

desert By the time it dawns, you could tell that you are looking at a picturesque image.

When affirming that someone or something is picturesque, it is very likely that this word is used to avoid others with a connotation offensive (eccentric, weird, and the like).

In the art world

Picturesque comes from the Italian, specifically from the word pittoresco, which means similar to the painting. From an artistic point of view the term picturesque is used as a category esthetic.

As a concept associated with art, it arose in the context of the 18th century in England, when the movement Romantic in painting was interested in a number of subjects. The theme that attracted the most attention to the painters of the romanticism it was the landscape, especially those places that had a certain magic and communicated ideals. This type of landscape was known as picturesque.

Another of the subjects that aroused interest among the romantic painters was typism, that is, situations and characters typical of a region and this artistic approach also received the name of picturesque. It should not be forgotten that Romanticism exalted the feelings national and therefore local themes were painted (customs, dances, encounters in the field, etc).

Although the picturesque was applied to the world of painting, it was soon extrapolated to other areas, for example, gardening or the decoration of building facades.

Photos: iStock - CoffeeAndMilk / MarcoMarchi

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