Definition of the word picturesquely

The word "picturesquely" first appeared in the English language in the late 18th century, derived from the word "picture" and the suffix "-esque," which is used to denote a resemblance or quality resembling that of something. The word initially gained popularity in connection with the emergence of landscape painting as an artistic genre. The term was used to describe scenes or objects that were so beautiful and pleasing to the eye that they appeared to be a picture come to life. The idea was that such scenes evoked the same sense of wonder and emotion as a well-crafted painting did. As time passed, "picturesquely" came to be used more widely to describe any object or scene with striking or attractive visual qualities, such as an old, weather-beaten cottage nestled among rolling hills, or the romantic and idyllic vistas that often appear in classic Romantic literature. The word is now widely used, in its modern form, to describe anything that has a pleasing or picturesque quality, commonly deployed as an adverb in the place of "beautifully" to denote a more aesthetic, specifically visual aspect of beauty.