Observations on the River Wye, and several parts of south Wales, &c., relative chiefly to picturesque beauty ...

Vicar and amateur artist, William Gilpin, is notable for being one of the first advocates of the ‘picturesque’. He believed that when drawing, artists should always look for the view that conveyed both the sublime and the beautiful. Gilpin advocated that artistic license could be used when necessary. This might involve adding a bridge where there was none, making ruins more ruinous or by inserting a tree into the background.

This is one of the first pieces of literature that describes an artistic tour of the picturesque. The idea of a picturesque tour became popular in the late eighteenth century with professional and amateur artists traveling across the country to find the most suitable views.