Special Collections Sunday : Picturesque Bristol

Derived from the Italian ‘pittoresco’, “from a picture,” the term picturesque defines an object or view worthy of being included in a picture. The picturesque was formulated into an aesthetic category in late eighteenth-century Britain, where it was primarily applied to the practices of landscape painting and garden and park design.

In the mid-eighteenth century, tourists who followed the cult of the picturesque travelled to untamed areas of the British Isles in pursuit of this visual ideal. Drawn from the library’s specialist collections and from the Pictorial Survey collection of images, this display of paintings, drawings and engravings by mostly Bristol Artists looks at what was considered worthy of illustration in Bristol and surrounding areas in years gone by.
Guest Curator: Adrian Jordin, Friend of Bristol Central Library

This is an open event, no booking required.

Timings & Tours

Sunday 15 September:

1400-1600

Location & directions

Bristol Central Library, College Green, Bristol, Bristol, BS1 5TL

Contact on day:

Sophie Evans

Telephone number:

+447485606863

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking not required

Accessibility details

Please be aware that the capacity of the Bristol Room is limited and you may have to wait if there is a high demand. We are keen to make this event open to all interested whilst ensuring the safety of our visitors and the collections.

Additional information

Est. tour duration:

2 hour(s)

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