ABSTRACT
In his 1780s bestseller Theorie der Gartenkunst, C.C.L. Hirschfeld declared that ‘[t]he foremost purpose of the path is to conduct us to notable scenes with no need for retracing one’s steps’. Unconcerned with its more mundane uses, Hirschfeld considered the path an aesthetic orchestration – a device for seeing and experiencing the landscape:
[…] the paths allow not only for the enjoyment of variations and diverseness but also for the most advantageous disclosure of the best vistas, sometimes suddenly, sometimes gradually, while on the other hand concealing any unpleasant sights. Therefore, the laying out of paths demands the most careful attention to the point of view from which the object strikes the eye.2
