THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT 1790-1840’s
Romanticism-EMOTION AND PASSION-Counteract Technical, Scientific, Materialistic, Industrial, Enlightened World
Romantics Really Dislike Industrialism and Enlightenment and Question if “Progress” has been made. -Generally, with the Modernization of the World as a result of the multiple revolutions made since the middle
ages, particularly those of the Industrial Revolution, Enlightenment, Science, a large movement emerges in contrast to these that questions progress and develops a deeper appreciation for “before”.
Subjects:-Focused Heavily on Incorporating Great Passion and Emotion into:
1. APPRECIATING THE NATURAL/NATURE LANDSCAPES-FOCUS IS ON NATURE and the NATURAL
-Nature is Dynamic, Alive, and Divine-NOT Precise and Mechanical (Enlightened Thinking)
-Industrial Revolution is Unnatural-Destroys Nature
-Many Flee to “unspoiled lands” (unindustrialized parts)-Childhood Innocence is destroyed by Industrial Revolution
-View of Nature is ROMANTICIZED -Literally depicted unrealistically better than it was.
Primitivism: A belief in the goodness and value of the unspoiled, naturally created state of individuals and groups. For example, children and savages were regarded as heroic and admirable in the Romantic world view. Also, the artistic productions of the "uncivilized" population, the folklore and folk art of the peasantry, were highly esteemed for their natural, unspoiled quality.
Caspar David Friedrich“The Wanderer above the Sea of Fog”
John Constable, Hadleigh Castle, The Mouth of the Thames—Morning after a Stormy Night, 1829http://artgallery.yale.edu/exhibitions/exhibition/critique-reason-romantic-art-1760-1860
2. APPRECIATING MIDDLE AGES-Glorified and Revived the days of Knights, Castles, Chivalry, and Gothic Architecture-Technically a “rebirth” of the “Dark Ages”
Karl Friedrich SchinkelGothic Cathedral with Imperial Palace Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Medieval Town on a River
3. MYSTICISM in RELIGION-Enlightenment: Rigid, Mechanical, Impersonal Deist Religion, Secular,
-Everything Must Be Understood to ExistRomanticism:
-Rebellion against rigid head thinking for more HEART-Understanding can be better achieved by inner feelings and emotion-Not everything is understood and that is GOOD, Mysticism
Madonna with Child by Carolsfeld Jerusalem. The Emanation of the Giant Albion/Chapter I/Plate 76 by William Blake
4. NATIONALISM-Including Romantic History
Georg Wilhelm Frederic HegelGerman Philosopher/ Historian -History was full of heroic heroes-Fostered the idea of National Identity and Freedom
Individualism: Each individual was a law unto himself, responsible to God alone for his behavior. The emphasis was on the "hero", the individual who is willing to stand alone and will die for a cause he believes in. This individualism permitted rebellion against authority and existing rules if the rebellion could be justified by a higher authority. Romanticism emphasized the humanitarian commitment to helping others. To the Romantic hero, it was not as important to win as it was to have fought for a noble cause. Victory was in the fight itself, not in the winning.
Glorification of nationalism, patriotism: Romanticism held that there was a belief in a mystical link with national origins and national history. Romanticism emphasized folk tales, traditional costumes, country and village life, and national histories, although the history promoted was an idealistic, not a realistic one. Romanticism rejected the Enlightenment’s analytic view of the past as counter-productive. Instead, Romanticism viewed the world as a growing organism changing with each nation's unique history. Romanticists expressed a vital optimism about life and the future. Romantic nationalists were fanatical patriots and passionate revolutionaries. The Romantic hero played an important part in the nationalist rebellions of the early nineteenth century. Remember, the Romantic often had no hope of winning his struggle but fought anyway.
“Liberty Leading the People” Eugene Delacroix
“Germania”Philipp Veit, 1848.
“The Third of May” Spanish Resistance to NapoleonFrancisco Goya
“Massacre at Chois” Greek Struggle for Freedom against Ottomas.Eugene Delacroix
Comparison of Enlightenment to Romanticism on Next Page
Enlightenment and Romanticism: A Comparison
Enlightenment/Neo-Classicism Romanticism
literary forms
traditione.g. heroic couplet.elevated, proper language,artifice; True Ease in Writing comes from Art, not Chance (Pope)
innovation and originality“primitive”; folk & fairy tales. romance. common language; every day experience; humble, rural; fanciful, picturesque, rugged
literary modesatiric mode; wink to audience reason provides knowledge talk about ideas
lyric mode: self-expression feelings provide knowledgepoetry defined by Wordsworth“spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling; it takes its origin from emotion recalled in tranquility”
reality empirical, physical, mathematical long ago, far away, transcendent, supernatural; internal
aesthetics/nature
order: measured, compressed, controlled, balanced
organic, dynamic, audacious, expansive;combine contraries: grotesque, sublime
plot driven by ideas, events, reason driven by character, emotions, passion, tragic endings
characters universal; everyman; puppetsunique, sacred individual; outcasts, rebels, nonconformists. Prometheus, Cain, Satanic hero-villain, mad scientist, Great Outlaw
authority, wisdom age & experience;located in society
youth & innocence;located in the individual
society order & authority inherently good; should protect man
inherently oppressive to manalienation
ideal manphilosophe-putting intelligence and wit to service of mankindOne Truth: intellectual
poet: brings nature’s miracles to our attention, puts us in touch with joyMany truths of daily experience
man in nature brutish innately good; noble savage
limits man should be satisfied within his limitations; work is noble
no limits, dissatisfaction, adventure, leisure: “painful feeling of incomplete destiny”
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~dsbeckma/222Enlitenmentcf.html