Thematic Essay: Romanticism and Realism From the mid-18th to the late 19th century, dynamic transformations in European art mirrored turbulent political and social changes, including revolutions, imperial conquests, and the emergence of the modern industrial age. The expressive, emotional aesthetics of Romantic art echoed a form of artistic rebellion against the orderly Enlightenment era to assert individuality of the artist and reject the stoic subject matter seen in the style of Neoclassicism. Romantic artists were primarily focused on exotic and tumultuous themes, often executed with loose and colorfully bold brushwork. Later in the century, proponents of the Realist movement turned to sober depictions of working people as the Industrial Revolution swept through Europe. Some Realists turned to nature, using landscape to convey a sense of direct experience of a specific place and time.
“As traditional art forms had become out-dated due to industrialization, modernism emerged in Western Europe out of a need to reject tradition and embrace the political, social and economic change of the industrial age” (Arteducation.com.au 2009). The paintings around this period were more focused on academic and social aspects rather than the traditional forms of religious and political institutions that were used earlier, as these were seen by the radical modernists to be restrictive of individual liberty. Artists sought to seek out the finer things in everyday life and to focus on these things. While most of the artists around this period were depicting truth through their work others were carrying out more abstract forms of art such as Pablo Picasso that would strip away the material things of the world (Arteducation.com.au 2009). One of the most well known images from this era is the work of Edvard Munch and his panting ‘The Scream’ (Fig.
Romanticism DBQ Romanticism was a late 18th century movement that was a reaction against what was considered the ‘excessive rationality and scientific narrowness’ of the Enlightenment era. Romantics sought to conserve the idea and customs held in the Middle Ages. They viewed the middle ages as a representation of the social stability and religious reverence that was lacking from their own era. Romantics held the mystery of nature, the glorification of history, and the emotion of religion, in high regard. These views were formed in retaliation the the Enlightenment Era and defined the characteristics of Romanticism.
All of these various styles responded to the industrialization of Europe in their own unique fashions, and resulted in a strange conglomeration of art, ideals, and themes. The earliest and perhaps greatest response to industrialization was the era or Romanticism. Disgusted by the squalor and pollution produced by industry, many artists and writers turned to Romanticism, glorifying nature over civilized society and emotion over reason. Romanticism prized natural beauty and despised the materialistic ideals of the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution. Romantic art tended to revolve around nature or some heroic deed, ignoring or tuning away from industry and logic, and when it did not, it reviled it.
Impressionism and Post-Impressionism An Analysis and Critique of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism Rachael Polston Western Governors University January, 2011 Impressionism and Post-Impressionism An Analysis and Critique of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism Impressionism and Post-Impressionism were two artistic movements that began late in the 19th century and ended during the beginning of the 20th century. The Impressionism era brought about new subject matter and techniques that were criticized for many years. However, it eventually became as authoritative as the traditions it replaced, bringing with it many great masterpieces that inspired future generations many years later. Post-Impressionists pushed the acceptability even further, with new techniques and radical uses of color. Rebellion and independence defined these movements, creating artist that were bound together by their unique style of creating art.
Romanticism in turn, was an early 19th century response to constraints of Neoclassicism (“Neoclassical Painting and Romantic Painting”). Current events highly influenced art movement during these time periods. The paintings often projected the events in their works. Neoclassicism in particular was influenced by the Enlightenment movement, a movement which glorified freedom of religion on separation of church and state and emphasized civil liberties. Over time the art changed to express what the people of the time desired, becoming more and more logical and realistic in representation of their art work.
Geography and the Development and Diffusion of Human Societies Student Name Western Governors University Geography and the Development and Diffusion of Human Societies Romanticism Romanticism or the romantic period was a movement in Europe around the early 19th century as a reaction to the rational formulas of neoclassicism (Mindedge). It was a result of many political, social and economic changes such as the French revolution and the Industrial revolution. Romanticism was a revolt against rational thought, empirical evidence and against the aristocratic social and political norms of the time. During the Romantic period, emphasis was placed on extreme of emotions, the irrational and the power of nature (USA Today magazine, 2003). They
Israel Aprieto Ms.Henry Period 2 English 11 2/9/12 Modernism: The American Dream Lost Modernism is defined as a movement with “bold new experimental styles and forms that swept the arts during the first third of the twentieth century” (Haffner 1128). As the period of Modernism commenced, writers wanted to move away from Realist and Romanticist literature. They wrote about loss of faith in the American Dream and sense of disillusionment. Margaret Walker, for example, depicts her poem “Let America Be America Again” with elements of Modernism like sense of disillusionment. Her poem shows individuals who hope for a good dream of a better future but not being fulfilled yet.
Imperialism is the domination by one country of the political, economic, or cultural life of another country or region. The new imperialism began in the late nineteenth and twentieth century. The political causes are the European needed bases for trade and navy ships and the spirit of nationalism. Some social causes were the theory of Social Darwinism, wish to share western civilization, and wish to spread Christianity. Lastly, the economic causes which was the need of new markets in which to sell their manufactured goods, Europeans needed raw materials to keep their factories busy, and place to infest profits.
The role and perception of contemporary craft over the last two centuries has changed dramatically both within the art world and society as a whole. Before the 18thcentury and the Industrial Revolution craft was often associated not with the achievement of high artistic excellence but, with the process of making. Indeed before the advent of the industrial revolution a crafts person was considered lowly due to the proximity of the hands on making process with the actual material. The late eighteenth century saw the emergence of Kants Enlightenment philosophy. This opposed traditional beliefs and superstition, and aim was a human mastery of the world through freedom of enquiry and debate.