Picturesque (p. 4, 11, 14)

Picturesque is a term that emerged in England during the Romantic era. This word signifies an "aesthetic ideal" and describes a combination of the "beautiful and sublime". The literal meaning of the word means that the image being viewed could be made into a picture. As an argument against rational thinking and reason, picturesque attempted to describe experiences that were natural. It was more like an instinct and less like a thought. Describing something as picturesque would therefore involve subjectivity rather than objectivity. During this time, there grew interest in viewing nature solely for pleasure and those of the English leisure class began to see country sides for its character, ruin, and authenticity. Paintings of landscape attempted to capture the raw and powerful characteristics of nature and this served to show the population's fascination with the picturesque.
Sources: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/r/romanticism-romance-sublime-picturesque/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picturesque

The way that Arcadia references the knowledge of the picturesque on pages 4 and 11/12 definitely suggests that this is a new term for their era. On page 4, Mr. Noakes is described as putting on an image that he is "a philosopher of the picturesque". Using the term "philosopher" could indicate that it takes a knowledgeable and reflective individual to have an understanding of such a term. Thomasina's "knowledge of the picturesque" (p. 11) is also patronized when Lady Croom is wondering what Septimus is teaching her. I also get the feeling that it is a term used to describe something noble because in the passage on page 4, it is used as an opposite for the serpent in the garden. It made me think about how something picturesque may be seen as heavenly as opposed to the sinful serpent.

"Salvator Rosa, your ladyship, the painter. He is indeed the very exemplar of the picturesque style." (Stoppard, p. 11)