ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Horstig's own understanding of the picturesque within the broader aesthetic framework laid down by earlier German aestheticians working on landscape, and by doyens of the picturesque such as William Gilpin and Uvedale Price. It focuses on the relationship between the category of the picturesque and sentimental association, examining in particular Horstig's critical engagement with Alison's work. How did this influence the viewing practices adopted by Horstig and his 'reading' of the land-, sea- and townscapes he encountered? The chapter offers a detailed reading of Horstig's travel account focusing in particular on light and motion in two key settings, Dover and London. It seeks to examine how, through his use of light in landscape, Horstig conferred a kinetic quality upon natural description that seemed to make the scene more direct, immediate, and emotionally engaging.
