Visually attractive in a quaint or charming way, especially in a manner suitable for a painting or photograph.
From French pittoresque, from Italian pittoresco 'in the manner of a painter', from pittore 'painter' from Latin pictor. The word entered English in the early 18th century during the Romantic movement's appreciation of scenic beauty.
The concept of 'picturesque' actually shaped how we see landscapes - 18th-century tourists would carry special tinted mirrors called 'Claude glasses' to make real scenery look more like romantic paintings. This word represents one of the few times that art literally taught people how to perceive natural beauty.
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