Dear ,

I adore a good fantasy image. The beautiful landscapes mixed with a dash of other worldly creativity, the real mixed with the impossible, and the exploration of new possibilities truly captures the imagination. The internet is full of stunning artworks, both digital and physical digitised, from talented artists. Many of these depict serene, historical settings, which I've always considered a modern style of art.

Recently, the introduction of AI generated imagery has brought an odd style of reimagining different combinations of elements to images. By training on an extensive catalogue of images AI has ‘learned’ how to recreate objects and images in specified styles, guided by engineered prompts. You've probably seen some of these images. Though the process involves a degree of trial and error to produce a finished piece, unlike the gradual, deliberate creation process of traditional artwork. Because AI doesn't inherently understand the "rules" of imagery, it can generate some surprising and unusual results.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I stumbled across a room of old paintings during a tour of the Shugborough Estate that could easily have been dreamt up by AI. This image, freely available from the National Trust here, is one example of the paintings that can be found in that room. The style, known as Capriccio, involves artists taking real architectural elements and reimagining them into new scenes, often depicting ruins in natural landscapes. The term "Capriccio" itself comes from the Italian word meaning "fancy" or "whim". Isn't that wonderful?

Discovering Capriccio at Shugborough was a delightful reminder of the timeless nature of creativity. These fantastical images, painted centuries ago, share a surprising kinship with the cutting-edge digital art created today. Fantasy truly has been a valid art form for hundreds of years, reflecting a human need to imagine and create.

For examples of modern artwork, you needn’t look further than the covers in these promotions, but inside you'll find new worlds awaiting:

Happy reading,

L. J. Evias