Romanticism--section+2

Romanticism Kendra McNulty  As time evolved, new artistic styles have developed. The transitions in the artistic styles that have occurred over time are very beneficial to our society because it provides one with enough knowledge on the different aspects that each style possesses and how each style compares and contrasts with one another. One style of art that was very popular during the 18th century, and is still looked upon to this day, is Romanticism. Romanticism is most admired for its emphasis in imagination and emotion and the end it put to the Enlightenment, a time where society chose to see human nature in uniform. Due to Romanticism, the field of art has been taken to the next level, in which artists get to portray their inner emotions and concerns through a more abstract, colorful and nature related manner.

Romanticism gained momentum after the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was a time where new discoveries were made in the fields of science, and philosophers and writes gained their individuality, in which they expressed the significance of their findings and personal thoughts to society. Enlightened thinkers expected society to accept the beliefs of science and operate according to the expectations of human reason and nature. Although this may have seemed like a time where one could express their intellectuality and voice his or her opinion, it objected the idea of creativity, emotion and abstractness, all qualities that contribute to the theme of Romanticism. However, Romanticism flourished in Germany and England in the 1770s, and by the 1820s its musical form had reached most of Europe. Such Romantic composers consist of Ludwig Bethoven and Frans Shubert. Most musical scholars attacked this style of music for it went against the traditional Western formal concert music. By the last decades of the 18th century, Romanticism was projected not just through music but dramas, novels, poetry and most significantly art. As mentioned previously, Romantic paintings conveyed emotion and feeling. It was most mostly favored amongst the Europeans because they were able to connect with the emotion the paintings were projecting. Such emotions that these paintings displayed were connected with the politics of the time, reflecting people’s fears, aspirations and hopes. One particular theme that Romantacism focused on was nature. Romantics appreciated the beauty of nature and enjoyed painting scenes that displayed its unpredictable and uncontrollable power. Portraits were another theme of painting that was also favored amongst the Romantic artists. This is so because they found that by painting other individuals they were able to take the personality of that person and incorporate it into the mood or tone of that painting.

There are many Romantic paintings that exemplify the deep emotions and thoughts that many artists had displayed into their personal works. One painting in particular is Joseph Mallord’s, A Storm with a Shipwreck. This particular piece of work is based on the famous Romantic theme, nature. The scenery displays the terrifying image of a ship fighting its way through monstrous waves. It is a representation of the awesome power and control nature has over mankind. Another Artist who based most of his paintings off nature is John Constable. In most of his works, Constable based his paintings off is native English countryside. He stated that his painting, Salisbury Cathedral is “nothing but one state of mind- that which you were in at the time” ([|www.metmesuem.org/toahd/roma/hd_roma.htm]). After wittinissing the powerful message conveyed by Constable’s, Salisbury Cathedral, critics and artists declared that his art was “nature itself”.

Romanticism was a cultural movement in the 18th century that put an end to the focus on human nature and science, and instead expanded into the category of emotion, and imagination. It is important that one acknowledges the significance of Romanticism because it provided Europeans with the opportunity to express their inner feelings through not just their paintings, but music and literature as well. Romanticism introduced a whole new era of cultural reform that allowed society to get in touch with their creative and spontaneous side.

=ROMANTIC PAINTINGS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE=

This romantic painting, painted by Theodore Gericaut, depicts a soldier fighting a battle on his horse. He defends against attacks with the help of his slashing, blow from his sword aboard his hoarse. In his painting, Gericult's main objective was to not force the emotion on his subject's face, yet still make him appear expressive. While painting this scene, he believed that violence and chaos was cause by a deeper meaning of the soul.

The Women of Algiers was painted in an 1834 by artist, Eugene Delacroix. Delacroix painted this particular painting using oil canvas. The Women of Algiers displays three prostitutes, or concubines, bonding in a harem. This particular piece of work is most admired for Delacroix's usage of light and the large areas of interrelated color. The mood or tone that Eugene wanted this painting to exemplify was a sensual/ sexual content. This painting also inspired impressionists as well as Pablo Picasso to design works that convey a similar message.

sources: www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roma/hd_roma.htm http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/roma.html www.britannica/com/EBchecked/topic/508675/Romanticism http://www.artlex.com/Artlex/r/romanticism.html