The concept of landscape is enjoying a period of scholarly development in contemporary geography that has spread to and enriched disciplines ranging from anthropology, archaeology and sociology, to history and philosophy. This is despite the fact the concept of landscape was once effectively dismissed by an influential geographical theorist as being of ‘little or no value as a technical or scientific term’ in geography. It will be argued that the contemporary analytical power of landscape derives in important measure from the timely ability of David Lowenthal to turn the critique of landscape on end. He did this by transforming the very contradictions embodied by landscape which made it a liability as technical or scientific term, in to a phenomenon for epistemological inquiry.
David Lowenthal, born 1923, is Emeritus Professor for UCL Geography. He was a colleague of Denis Cosgrave and one of the directors of the Landscape Research Group.