The sensibility of aesthetic landscape concepts in the case of British West Indies travel narratives, 1815–1914

Abstract

In the tradition of landscape traced back to the emergence of landscape painting, the techniques of art provided the basis for selecting a vantage point or prospect, from which to view the landscape, and for framing the scene. Meanwhile, the development of aesthetic concepts such as the sublime, beautiful, picturesque, and romantic provided the means of evaluating landscape scenery. These concepts provided a highly structured way of seeing intended to standardize the experience of landscape and remove the personal response. The purpose of this paper is to explore the trends of landscape appreciation based on the use of these four aesthetic concepts in the case study of the British West Indies during the formative years of tourism between 1815 and 1914. In travel narrative descriptions of landscape experiences, writers continued to use each of the terms: sublime, beautiful, picturesque, and romantic. However, with increasing emphasis on personal experience and emotional response, these terms were used less to depict specific types or characteristics of landscape than to generally indicate the sensibility of an attractive landscape.

Keywords:

• Caribbean
• travel writing
• landscape
• sublime
• picturesque
• romantic

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the Kent State University Department of Geography, the Kent State Graduate Student Senate, and the University of Florida Center for Latin American Studies for funding this research. I would also like to thank Dr. Dave Kaplan and Dr. Shawn Banasick for their help with this project, and Dr. Alyson Greiner for working with me throughout the submission process.

Notes

1. Sources were accessed at archives in the British Library and the University of Florida Center for Latin American Studies’ Latin American Collection.

2. Travel narrative sources included (by publication date): Philips 1831; Alexander 1833; Rolph 1841; Houstoun 1844; Baird 1850; Wilson 1860; Coleridge 1862; Dennys 1862; Greville 1869; Kingsley 1871; Boddam-Whetham 1879; Brassey 1885; Tait 1895; Newton 1897; Bullen 1905; Henderson 1905; Treves 1908; Froude 1909; Trollope 1968 ; Madden 1970.

3. According to William Gilpin (1792), picturesque landscapes were those that were capable of being illustrated in painting. While beautiful landscapes were pleasing in their natural state, their smoothness or neatness prohibited them from effectively being translated into a visually stimulating painting. Therefore, a picturesque landscape that could be illustrated in painting was a landscape in which various parts were combined to form a whole. The defining characteristic of each of these parts was roughness, because smooth objects would blend seamlessly into one another. A picturesque landscape was one in which there was variety, contrast, and asymmetry in the landscape where there were rich textures, rough surfaces, broken lines, and strong or rugged features. Such a landscape would have varied colors and hues and dramatic effects of light and dark. ‘Picturesque travelers’ were instructed to explore new and unique areas in search of landscapes that might fit these criteria. When such a landscape was attained, the viewer would gain an impression of the scene and feel delight or pleasure. The viewer would then examine the scene as a whole for its overall composition, coloring, and light before he/she would analyze the parts of the scene. In this process, the viewer could determine what might be changed or added to the scene and compare the scene with those produced in art. The next step was to represent the scene in a sketch or description for one's own remembrance or the amusement of others.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Velvet Nelson

Velvet Nelson is Assistant Professor at the Department of Geography and Geology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, USA