What does Picturesque mean?

Definitions for Picturesque
ˌpɪk tʃəˈrɛskpic·turesque

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Picturesque.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. picturesqueadjective

    suggesting or suitable for a picture; pretty as a picture

    "a picturesque village"

  2. picturesqueadjective

    strikingly expressive

    "a picturesque description of the rainforest"

Wiktionary

  1. picturesqueadjective

    Resembling or worthy of a picture or painting; having the qualities of a picture or painting. scenic

    We looked down onto a beautiful, picturesque sunset over the ocean.

  2. Etymology: from pittoresco, from pittura; see picture.

Wikipedia

  1. Picturesque

    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, a practical book which instructed England's leisured travellers to examine "the face of a country by the rules of picturesque beauty". Picturesque, along with the aesthetic and cultural strands of Gothic and Celticism, was a part of the emerging Romantic sensibility of the 18th century. The term "picturesque" needs to be understood in relationship to two other aesthetic ideals: the beautiful and the sublime. By the last third of the 18th century, Enlightenment and rationalist ideas about aesthetics were being challenged by looking at the experiences of beauty and sublimity as non-rational. Aesthetic experience was not just a rational decision – one did not look at a pleasing curved form and decide it was beautiful; rather it came naturally as a matter of basic human instinct. Edmund Burke in his 1757 A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful argued that the soft gentle curves appealed to the male sexual desire, while the sublime horrors appealed to our desires for self-preservation. Picturesque arose as a mediator between these opposed ideals of beauty and the sublime, showing the possibilities that existed between these two rationally idealised states. As Thomas Gray wrote in 1765 of the Scottish Highlands: "The mountains are ecstatic […]. None but those monstrous creatures of God know how to join so much beauty with so much horror."

ChatGPT

  1. picturesque

    Picturesque describes something that is visually attractive or charming, typically in a manner that appears worthy of being in a picture or painting. It's often associated with natural scenery, landscapes, or quaint settings but can also be applied to any aesthetically pleasing sight.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Picturesqueadjective

    forming, or fitted to form, a good or pleasing picture; representing with the clearness or ideal beauty appropriate to a picture; expressing that peculiar kind of beauty which is agreeable in a picture, natural or artificial; graphic; vivid; as, a picturesque scene or attitude; picturesque language

  2. Etymology: [It. pittoresco: cf. F. pittoresque. See Pictorial.]

Wikidata

  1. Picturesque

    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, a practical book which instructed England's leisured travelers to examine "the face of a country by the rules of picturesque beauty". Picturesque, along with the aesthetic and cultural strands of Gothic and Celticism, was a part of the emerging Romantic sensibility of the 18th century. The term "picturesque" needs to be explained in terms of its relationship to two other aesthetic ideals: those of the beautiful and the sublime. By the last third of the 18th century, Enlightenment rationalist ideas about aestheticism were being challenged by looking at the experiences of beauty and sublimity as being non-rational. Aesthetic experience was not just a rational decision - one did not look at a pleasing curved form and decide it was beautiful - rather it was a matter of basic human instinct and came naturally. Edmund Burke in his 1757 Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and the Beautiful said the soft gentle curves appealed, he thought, to the male sexual desire, while the sublime horrors appealed to our desires for self-preservation. Picturesque arose as a mediator between the opposed ideals of beauty and the sublime, showing the possibilities that existed in between these two rationally idealized states. As Thomas Gray wrote in 1765 of the Scottish Highlands "The mountains are ecstatic.. None but.. God know how to join so much beauty with so much horror." See also Gilpin and the picturesque.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Picturesque

    pik-tū-resk′, adj. like a picture: such as would make a good or striking picture: expressing the pleasing beauty of a picture.—adv. Picturesque′ly.—n. Picturesque′ness. [It. pittorescopittura, a picture—L. pictura.]

Editors Contribution

  1. picturesqueadjective

    pretty, beautiful, suggesting or suitable for an artistic composition


    Submitted by Destination on November 30, 2022  

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Picturesque in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Picturesque in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of Picturesque in a Sentence

  1. Chris Thompson:

    From picturesque lakes and lush forests to historical monuments and rugged landscapes, the National Parks provide an unforgettable experience for every type of traveler. we want travelers from all over the world to expand their view of United States beyond our bustling urban environments and really become synonymous with natural beauty, rich history and breaking adventure.

  2. Lissa Poirot:

    When choosing the top family-friendly beaches, we consider a number of factors -- it's not just beautiful sands and picturesque views.

  3. Mayor Antonino Camarda:

    We have a huge architectural heritage to rescue, packed with history, over time, too many people have left, leaving behind a bunch of old, picturesque houses, many even dating back to the Renaissance.

  4. Friedrich Nietzsche:

    At the bottom every man knows well enough that he is a unique human being, only once on this earth; and by no extraordinary chance will such a marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is, ever be put together a second time.

  5. Sam Harrison:

    Don't get me wrong, I'd much rather be diving in the Red Sea, seeing some picturesque fish than broken beer bottles, but overall I generally enjoy it. And you never know.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Picturesque#10000#19317#100000

Translations for Picturesque

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"Picturesque." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Picturesque>.

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