Savage Grandeur and Noblest Thoughts. Discovering the Lake District, 1750-1820

2010 marks the bicentenary of William Wordsworth's Guide to the Lake District, first published anonymously in 1810. Savage Grandeur & Noblest Thoughts explores the work of the artists and writers who sought to depict and describe the area of the Lakes between 1750 - 1820. A growing appreciation of mountain scenery, the rise of watercolour and new printing techniques were major factors affecting the ways that the Lake District was discovered by artists and their public. At the same time, the Lakes inspired writers to compose poems, travel narratives and guidebooks on this previously "hidden" area of Britain. These themes are brought together in this beautifully illustrated catalogue.