The Romantic period was a creative movement that originated in the late eighteenth century and spanned about one hundred years. The movement included literature, music, and visual art that had common themes. Many iconic paintings, such as The Wanderer Painting, were born from this movement. It can be easier to understand a movement by learning about its parts, so here are a few facts about the Romanticism movement.
1. Weltschmerz
Translating to “world-weariness”, this German word “weltschmerz” was a major concept of the Romantic period. Described by German author Jean Paul, the concept describes the feeling that occurs when a person realizes the world has not lived up to their original expectations. Weltschmerz is depicted heavily in Romantic art, with artists searching for a way to reconcile with the feeling.
2. It Directly Contrasts the Neoclassicism Movement
The Romanticism movement and the Neoclassicism movement occurred at roughly the same time but exemplified opposite ideals. While the Romantic period was focused on expression and spirituality, the Neoclassicism period was focused on science and rationality.
3. Natural Disasters Were a Common Theme
A prominent theme of the Romantic period was the relationship between man and nature. One way that artists portrayed this was through depictions of natural disasters. The importance of shipping made sea storms a natural disaster that was depicted. The Gericault painting, The Raft of Medusa, is an ideal example of this trend. The work portrays a group of sailors shipwrecked after a storm, displaying nature’s power over man.
4. Romanticism is Difficult to Define
Where impressionism is an easy period to pin down, romanticism is a bit more difficult to define as an artistic style. Romantic art is defined less by the technique itself than the emphasis on personal expression.
Spirituality and self-expression were the guiding principles of the movement, creating the driving forces for much of the art that was produced during the time.
5. Animals Were Another Common Theme
Similarly to the focus on natural disasters, animals make a repeat appearance in romantic art. Depicting animals in an anatomically correct fashion was not necessarily the goal. Instead, the goal was to capture the movement of the animals within the scene. The focus on animals was symbolic of the return to nature that many romantic artists hoped to capture.
6. Back-to-Eden
The back-to-Eden philosophy was popularized by philosopher John Jacques Rousseau during the Romanticism movement. The philosophy stated that man is born pure, but is tainted by life. The goal was to work back to the birthplace, the Christian “Eden”, and regain purity.
7. The Nature of Portraits Changed
It’s no surprise that portraiture was just as common in romantic art as it was in all other art periods. Rather than working to capture the model themself, however, romantic portraits focused on the emotion of the model in order to convey the story of the painting. An example of this can be seen in The Desperate Man by Gustave Courbet.
8. Romanticism Lent Inspiration to Impressionism
Eugene Delacroix, who came to be known as the leader of the French romantic movement, developed techniques that would come to be used by impressionist painters. By painting juxtaposing complementary tones, Delacroix noticed that the tones appeared richer. Impressionist painters later used this technique of optical blending in their works.
9. Fantasy Themes Were Common
The desire to get away from society fueled a trend of depicting fantasy scenes in romantic art. Depictions of fairy tales and myths frequently included the natural elements that were common in romanticism. One painting famous for its depiction of fantasy elements is The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse. The work depicts a woman crossing a body of water in a canoe, based on the poem by the same name by Alfred Tennyson.
10. Current Events Became an Inspiration
The romanticism period happened to align with a time when revolutions were erupting across Europe and North America. These revolutions often focused on individual rights, freedoms, and liberties. Artists often recreated these events on the canvas through the principles of the romantic period. A prime example of this is Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People which was released in response to the 1830 July Revolution.
11. Similarities to Gothic Art
Commonalities are often drawn between Gothic Art and that of the Romantic period. Both styles are famous for depicting dramatic scenes, oftentimes with inspiration from spirituality. The two also have similarities in technique, with both styles often displaying deep tones
Conclusion
The romantic period is easy to spot, but difficult to define. It resulted in some of the most iconic paintings of all time and served to inspire the artistic movements that came after it. Romanticism continues to fascinate and inspire art lovers across the globe, proving its importance to the field of visual arts.
