Landscape photograph of Tolima Colombia
comprises the visible features of an area of
land, including physical elements such as
landforms, living elements of
flora and
fauna, abstract elements like lighting and
weather conditions, and human elements like human activity and the
built environment.
Etymology
The word landscape comes from the
Dutch word
landschap, from
land (directly equivalent to the
English word land) also the suffix
-schap, corresponding to the
English suffix "-ship".
Landscape, first recorded in 1598, was borrowed as a painters' term from Dutch during the 16th century, when Dutch artists were on the verge of becoming masters of the
landscape art genre. The Dutch word
landschap had earlier meant simply 'region, tract of land' but had acquired the artistic sense, which it brought over into English, of 'a picture depicting scenery on land'.
See also
