William Gilpin

Season 1Episode 260 minAug 21, 2007
William Gilpin
In Observations on the River Wye (1770), William Gilpin drew, painted and discussed one of the most beautiful rivers in Great Britain. He did so in order to formulate his theories on landscape, the picturesque and the nature of God. In seeking out nature and views, Gilpin was actually the first to popularise a pastime we assume is timeless. A country clergyman, he became the genius of British sightseeing, and his journey an important milestone in British tourism. In a sense, William Gilpin’s trip down the River Wye – largely conducted on a boat in pouring rain – was about helping us to see this country in a new light. In retracing it, Nick Crane sets out to discover why Gilpin made such trips so popular. How was the River Wye affected by the changes that were around in Gilpin’s day? And has Gilpin’s quest for the picturesque corrupted our view of landscape? Who was William Gilpin? The Reverend William Gilpin (1724-1804) was a man of many parts: headmaster, vicar, artist and writer. He was a free-thinker who suited his time; an era of calm before the French and American revolutions. Having been born in the Lake District, a love of landscape was in Gilpin’s blood. To it, he brought a complex mix of tolerant, enlightened thinking and a firm love of rules. He wanted people to enjoy the River Wye according to his rules of picturesque beauty. But Gilpin’s rules weren’t just about improving painting skills. He wanted us to admire the works of God, for he saw nature as proof of God’s existence. His views were popular, though later became regarded as somewhat quaint. But they linger on. For in training a nation to revere its landscape, he provided a means for us to value the most beautiful parts of the countryside. And his rules are still in evidence: in postcards, paintings, planning departments and our imagination. The picturesque could never tell the whole story of the landscape, but in identifying its most pleasing features, Gilpin touched a craving deep in all of us.
William Gilpin has aired on Aug 21, 2007 at 8:00 PM
Previous EpisodeNext Episode

Trailer

We do not have any trailers for this episode

Recently Updated Shows

Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
World War II with Tom Hanks
Running

World War II with Tom Hanks

For eighty years, the Second World War has remained the most devastating and defining conflict in human history. World War II with Tom Hanks is a landmark documentary event that reexamines the war through the lens of a new century. Told over twenty hours and guided by Tom Hanks, whose lifelong passion for this history has shaped some of the most profound screen portrayals of the era, the series captures the full arc of the war — from the rise of fascism in Europe to the fall of Berlin, from Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima, and the uneasy peace that follows. Each episode uncovers new dimensions of the conflict: the decisions that shaped the battlefield, the unseen networks that sustained the war effort, and the aftershocks that still shape our world today. "World War II with Tom Hanks" is the definitive retelling of that story for a new generation: a sweeping, deeply human portrait of how the modern world was forged in the fires of global war.

Harry Wild
Running

Harry Wild

Literature professor Harriet "Harry" Wild is adjusting to retirement when she's mugged. While recovering at the home of her son, a detective in the Dublin police, Harry gleans a clue for his current case. But when she's rebuffed, Harry decides to solve the crime herself. Recruiting an unlikely young sidekick, she finds a new path as a private investigator.

GenreComedy, Thriller, Mystery
King of the Hill
Running

King of the Hill

King of the Hill follows the life of Hank Hill, his wife Peggy, their 13-year-old son Bobby, their 18-year-old niece Luanne, her husband Lucky, their newborn baby girl Gracie and his beer guzzling neighborhood buddies, Dale, Bill and Boomhauer.

GenreComedy
Ancient Aliens
Running

Ancient Aliens

Ancient Aliens explores the controversial theory that extraterrestrials have visited Earth for millions of years. From the age of the dinosaurs to ancient Egypt, from early cave drawings to continued mass sightings in the US, each episode in this hit History series gives historic depth to the questions, speculations, provocative controversies, first-hand accounts and grounded theories surrounding this age old debate. Did intelligent beings from outer space visit Earth thousands of years ago?

MobLand
Running

MobLand

With the most powerful clients in Europe, MobLand will see family fortunes and reputations at risk, odd alliances unfold, and betrayal around every corner; and while the family might be London's most elite fixers today, the nature of their business means there is no guarantee what's in store tomorrow.

MobLand follows two generations of gangsters, the businesses they run, the complex relationships they weave and the man they call upon to fix their problem.

GenreDrama, Crime