western civilization lecture 9

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Western CivilizationWestern Civilization

IS-VNU

Lecture 9The Romantic Era

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic NOT Romance Romantic NOT Romance

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic Era Interests Romantic Era Interests

Emotions not Rational ThinkingEmotions not Rational Thinking

Intuition, Imagination & Creativity Intuition, Imagination & Creativity

Beauty Beauty

Untamed Nature Untamed Nature

The SublimeThe Sublime

Horror, Terror and AweHorror, Terror and Awe

The Supernatural The Supernatural

Spontaneity not Calculations/PlanningSpontaneity not Calculations/Planning

Revival of Medieval Ideals Revival of Medieval Ideals

Gothic – Directing attention to another worldGothic – Directing attention to another world

Escaping this worldEscaping this world

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationCounter-Enlightenment MovementCounter-Enlightenment Movement

EnlightenmentEnlightenment

ScienceScience

TechnologyTechnology

Power of machinesPower of machines

ProgressProgress

Reason & LogicReason & Logic

Mechanistic Reality Mechanistic Reality

Modern Civilized ManModern Civilized Man

Factory-made “Sameness”Factory-made “Sameness”

RomanticRomantic

SupernaturalSupernatural

NatureNature

Power of naturePower of nature

Chaos & Disorder Chaos & Disorder

Emotions & CreativityEmotions & Creativity

Organic RealityOrganic Reality

The Noble SavageThe Noble Savage

Originality Originality

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationBroken Promises of the Enlightenment Broken Promises of the Enlightenment

and Industrial Revolutionand Industrial RevolutionFreedom & LibertyFreedom & Liberty

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationBroken Promises of the Enlightenment Broken Promises of the Enlightenment

and Industrial Revolutionand Industrial RevolutionSocial EqualitySocial Equality

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationBroken Promises of the Enlightenment Broken Promises of the Enlightenment

and Industrial Revolutionand Industrial Revolution

Science & Technology Science & Technology will make life betterwill make life better

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationThe Romantic ArtistThe Romantic Artist

Misunderstood LonerMisunderstood Loner

Gifted Genius Gifted Genius

Follows his inspirations and Follows his inspirations and emotions not logicemotions not logic

Art as an expression of Art as an expression of emotions not a realistic emotions not a realistic representation of the worldrepresentation of the world

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Western CivilizationWestern Civilization

Romantic LiteratureRomantic Literature

Stories of misery and Stories of misery and exploitationexploitation

Interest in the Interest in the SupernaturalSupernatural

Strong EmotionsStrong Emotions

Sublimity of NatureSublimity of Nature

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Western CivilizationWestern Civilization

Romantic Poets: Romantic Poets: William WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth

Poetry is, “the Poetry is, “the spontaneous overflow of spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”powerful feelings”

Criticized materialism Criticized materialism and industrialization and industrialization through his poetrythrough his poetry

Mourned the loss of Mourned the loss of NatureNature

Pastoral NOT UrbanPastoral NOT Urban

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationWilliam WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth

The World is Too Much with Us

The world is too much with us; late and soon,Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—Little we see in Nature that is ours;We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;The winds that will be howling at all hours,And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;For this, for everything, we are out of tune;It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather beA Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

Materialism criticized

Mourns the loss of NatureCritical of rationalism over emotions

Critical of lack of awe at Nature

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationWilliam WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth

The World is Too Much with Us

The world is too much with us; late and soon,Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—Little we see in Nature that is ours;We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;The winds that will be howling at all hours,And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;For this, for everything, we are out of tune;It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather beA Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

Materialism criticized

Mourns the loss of NatureCritical of rationalism over emotions

Critical of lack of awe at Nature

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic Poets: Romantic Poets:

Samuel Taylor ColeridgeSamuel Taylor Coleridge

Close friend of William Close friend of William WordsworthWordsworth

Suspension of Disbelief - Suspension of Disbelief - the reader would suspend the reader would suspend judgment concerning the judgment concerning the implausibility of the narrativeimplausibility of the narrative

Descriptive Emphasis on Descriptive Emphasis on NatureNature

Employs Supernatural Employs Supernatural elements in his poetryelements in his poetry

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic Poets: Romantic Poets:

Samuel Taylor ColeridgeSamuel Taylor Coleridge

Close friend of William Close friend of William WordsworthWordsworth

Suspension of Disbelief - Suspension of Disbelief - the reader would suspend the reader would suspend judgment concerning the judgment concerning the implausibility of the narrativeimplausibility of the narrative

Descriptive Emphasis on Descriptive Emphasis on NatureNature

Employs Supernatural Employs Supernatural elements in his poetryelements in his poetry

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationSamuel Taylor ColeridgeSamuel Taylor Coleridge

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Recounts the events of a mariner (sailor)While sailing the ship gets lostAn albatross (a part of nature) leads the ship back on courseThe Mariner kills the albatross so the ships crew will stop following itThe “spirits” are angry about the killing and cause the ship to get lostA ghost ship passes and kills the entire crew except for the MarinerThe Mariner lives and is condemned to wander the earth and tell his story

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationSamuel Taylor ColeridgeSamuel Taylor Coleridge

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Recounts the events of a mariner (sailor)While sailing the ship gets lostAn albatross (a part of nature) leads the ship back on courseThe Mariner kills the albatross so the ships crew will stop following itThe “spirits” are angry about the killing and cause the ship to get lostA ghost ship passes and kills the entire crew except for the MarinerThe Mariner lives and is condemned to wander the earth and tell his story

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic Poets: John

Keates

Died at 25 years oldProlific writerSensual ImageryInterest in the Emotions and Passion of love not “Romance”Interested in Beauty

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic Poets: John

Keates

Died at 25 years oldProlific writerSensual ImageryInterest in the Emotions and Passion of love not “Romance”Interested in Beauty

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationJohn KeatesJohn KeatesOde on a Grecian Urn

THOU still unravish'd bride of quietness, Thou foster-child of Silence and slow Time, Sylvan historian, who canst thus express A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme: What leaf-fringed legend haunts about thy shape…Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss, Though winning near the goal—yet, do not grieve;She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss,For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!…When old age shall this generation waste, Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st, 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.'

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationJohn KeatesJohn KeatesOde on a Grecian Urn

THOU still unravish'd bride of quietness, Thou foster-child of Silence and slow Time, Sylvan historian, who canst thus express A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme: What leaf-fringed legend haunts about thy shape…Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss, Though winning near the goal—yet, do not grieve;She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss,For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!…When old age shall this generation waste, Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st, 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.'

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic Poets:

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The Supernatural Emotionally charged

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic Poets:

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The Supernatural Emotionally charged

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationJohann Wolfgang von GoetheJohann Wolfgang von Goethe

Goethe's Faust

Epic PoemHeinrich Faust, a scholar Mephistopheles, a DevilFaust wants to learn everything that can be knownFaust make a deal with the Devil. The Devil will serve Faust in this life in exchange for Faust's soulFaust wants access to knowledge not available through science and logic Faust wants to feel pleasure so great that he'll want to be in that moment forever.

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationJohann Wolfgang von GoetheJohann Wolfgang von Goethe

Goethe's Faust

Epic PoemHeinrich Faust, a scholar Mephistopheles, a DevilFaust wants to learn everything that can be knownFaust make a deal with the Devil. The Devil will serve Faust in this life in exchange for Faust's soulFaust wants access to knowledge not available through science and logic Faust wants to feel pleasure so great that he'll want to be in that moment forever.

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic ProseRomantic Prose

Mary Shelley's Mary Shelley's FrankensteinFrankenstein

Gothic Novel Gothic Novel

Dr. Frankenstein attempts to Dr. Frankenstein attempts to recreate “life” through recreate “life” through sciencescience

Frankenstein creates a Frankenstein creates a monster, an ugly mutation of monster, an ugly mutation of lifelife

All the monster wants is to be All the monster wants is to be loved and accepted loved and accepted

The monster is feared and The monster is feared and rejectedrejected

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic ProseRomantic Prose

Mary Shelley's Mary Shelley's FrankensteinFrankenstein

Gothic Novel Gothic Novel

Dr. Frankenstein attempts to Dr. Frankenstein attempts to recreate “life” through recreate “life” through sciencescience

Frankenstein creates a Frankenstein creates a monster, an ugly mutation of monster, an ugly mutation of lifelife

All the monster wants is to be All the monster wants is to be loved and accepted loved and accepted

The monster is feared and The monster is feared and rejectedrejected

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic ProseRomantic Prose

Mary Shelley's Mary Shelley's FrankensteinFrankenstein

Obvious comparisons Obvious comparisons between Dr. Frankenstein between Dr. Frankenstein and the Enlightenment and the Enlightenment

Science cannot create “life,” Science cannot create “life,” science can only create science can only create “monsters” “monsters”

Science cannot proved Science cannot proved “love” “love”

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic ProseRomantic Prose

Mary Shelley's Mary Shelley's FrankensteinFrankenstein

Obvious comparisons Obvious comparisons between Dr. Frankenstein between Dr. Frankenstein and the Enlightenment and the Enlightenment

Science cannot create “life,” Science cannot create “life,” science can only create science can only create “monsters” “monsters”

Science cannot proved Science cannot proved “love” “love”

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic ProseRomantic Prose

Bram Stoker's Bram Stoker's Dracula Dracula

Gothic Novel Gothic Novel

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic ProseRomantic Prose

Bram Stoker's Bram Stoker's Dracula Dracula

Gothic Novel Gothic Novel

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic ProseRomantic Prose

Victor Hugo's Victor Hugo's Les MisérablesLes Misérables

Set during the French Set during the French RevolutionRevolution

Graphic display of the chaos Graphic display of the chaos of revolutionof revolution

Compassionate presentation Compassionate presentation of the life of factory workers, of the life of factory workers, convicts, prostitutes and child-convicts, prostitutes and child-laborers. laborers.

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic PaintingsRomantic Paintings

Romantic Style and InterstsRomantic Style and Intersts

LandscapesLandscapes

The Sublime in NatureThe Sublime in Nature

Use of color to express moods / emotionsUse of color to express moods / emotions

Visible & Expressive Brush-strokes Visible & Expressive Brush-strokes

Gothic feelings of death and decayGothic feelings of death and decay

Nature will eventually overpower creations of manNature will eventually overpower creations of man

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic PaintingsRomantic Paintings

Romantic Style and InterstsRomantic Style and Intersts

LandscapesLandscapes

The Sublime in NatureThe Sublime in Nature

Use of color to express moods / emotionsUse of color to express moods / emotions

Visible & Expressive Brush-strokes Visible & Expressive Brush-strokes

Gothic feelings of death and decayGothic feelings of death and decay

Exotic Subject and the “Noble Savage”Exotic Subject and the “Noble Savage”

Nature will eventually overpower creations of manNature will eventually overpower creations of man

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic PaintingsRomantic Paintings

Eugène DelacroixEugène Delacroix

French Romantic PaintersFrench Romantic Painters

Expressive Brush-strokesExpressive Brush-strokes

Influenced later ImpressionismInfluenced later Impressionism

Interest in Exotic Subjects after Interest in Exotic Subjects after taking a trip to North Africataking a trip to North Africa

Moved away from precision and Moved away from precision and perfection perfection

Self-portrait, 1837

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Eugène DelacroixEugène Delacroix

Massacre at Chios (1824)

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Eugène DelacroixEugène Delacroix

Frédéric Chopin, 1838

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Eugène DelacroixEugène Delacroix

The Death of Desdemona, 1858

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Eugène DelacroixEugène Delacroix

Jewish Wedding in Morocco, c1839

39Eugène DelacroixEugène Delacroix Liberty Leading the People (1830)

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Liberty Leading the People (1830)

upper class

revolutionary middle class

The Cost of Liberty, Equality & Fraternity

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Thomas ColeThomas Cole

American Painter

Interest in American Landscapes

Large Open Skies

Ruins – Triumph of Nature over man-made things

The Sublime Humans are Small when

compared to nature

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Thomas ColeThomas Cole

The Oxbow (The Connecticut River near Northampton) (1836)

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Thomas ColeThomas Cole

Romantic Landscape with Ruined Tower (1832-36)

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Thomas ColeThomas Cole

The Course of Empire: Desolation (1836)

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Thomas ColeThomas Cole

The Past (1838)

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Thomas ColeThomas Cole

The Present (1838)

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Thomas ColeThomas Cole

Home in the Woods (1847)

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Francisco GoyaFrancisco Goya

Spanish Romantic Painter

Paints Brutality of War

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Francisco GoyaFrancisco Goya

The Third of May 1808, 1814.

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Francisco GoyaFrancisco Goya The Disasters of War prints

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Francisco GoyaFrancisco Goya

Dark Paintings

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationClassical MusicClassical Music

1750–18301750–1830

Repeated motifs (musical Repeated motifs (musical theme) theme)

Highly complex compositions Highly complex compositions

Very structured Very structured

Require a significant degree of Require a significant degree of skill for a musician to play skill for a musician to play classical musicclassical music

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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Western CivilizationWestern CivilizationRomantic MusicRomantic Music

1815–19101815–1910Attempts to express strong emotionsAttempts to express strong emotions

Movement through a variety of Movement through a variety of emotions emotions

Heightened Contrast between Heightened Contrast between Movements Movements

Sometimes Gothic themesSometimes Gothic themes

Bigger Orchestras Bigger Orchestras

Expanded percussion & brass sections Expanded percussion & brass sections

Exploration of tones and “color” Exploration of tones and “color”

Free forms such as nocturnes, Free forms such as nocturnes, fantasias, and preludesfantasias, and preludes Ludwig van Beethoven