Some features of the Sublime, the Beautiful and the Picturesque
The Sublime
Things of great height such as mountains
Craggy, rocky, rough features
The dark and obscure
The dangerous and wild
The sublime eludes the limits of representation
The sublime is that which cannot be described or represented fully
Encountering the sublime involves a loss of self
Encountering the sublime involves a loss of reason.
The Beautiful
Produces feelings of pleasure in the beholder
Can be represented
Does not challenge reason
Generates an emotional response, even love
The response to the beautiful is physical and sensual. Women’s bodies can be
beautiful, bur not women’s minds
The beautiful can be known and can be described. It is safe.
The Picturesque
Is a hybrid aesthetic category
Is a way of seeing and describing nature
Is a way of viewing nature as though composed for a landscape painting
Key features are asymmetrical shapes, sinuous shapes, the rugged, the irregular;
light and shades; contrast; variety
A picturesque landscape can be inspirational (compare the sublime) but is
controllable (compare the beautiful)
Picturesque landscapes often include the ruined or part-ruined, and concealed or
part-hidden
The picturesque appeals to the eye but also to the rational senses, and provokes a
rational response
The picturesque can be contained by and described using language