William Gilpin (4 June 1724 – 1804) was an English artist, Anglican cleric, schoolmaster, and author, best known as one of the originators of the idea of the picturesque.Gilpin was born in Cumberland, the son of Captain John Bernard Gilpin, a soldier and amateur artist. From an early age he was an enthusiastic sketcher and collector of prints, but while his brother Sawrey Gilpin became a professional painter, William opted for a career in the church, graduating from Queen's College, Oxford in 1748.