The Picturesque by Hussey Christopher;

Author:Hussey, Christopher;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Published: 1927-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

Another attempt at a Watteau pastorale at Stowe was unsuccessful owing to cold and wet weather and the infirmity of the guests. In describing the fiasco Walpole put his finger on one of the weak spots in the ideal phase of picturesque theory:

Our poets learnt their trade of the Romans, and so adopted the terms of their masters. They talk of shady groves, purling streams and cooling breezes, and we get sore throats and agues with attempting to realise these visions. Zephyr is a north-east wind, that makes Damon button up to the chin, and pinches Chloe’s nose till it is red and blue. We ruin ourselves with inviting over foreign trees and make our houses clamber up hills to look at prospects. How our ancestors would laugh at us, who knew there was no being comfortable unless you had a high hill before your nose, and a thick warm wood at your back! Taste is too freezing a commodity for us, and depend upon it, will go out of fashion again.1

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