THE ROMANTIC PERIOD

The Zeitgeist

ZEITGEIST: A PERVASIVE INTELLECTUAL CLIMATE. THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE

In the Romantic Period we see an explosive release of artistic energy, an experimental boldness, and creative

power that marks an artistic renaissance

Characteristics of the Romantic Period

(1) Imagination, Emotions, and Intuition. Exaltation of intense feelings.

Descartes: I think, therefore I am.vs

Rousseau: I felt before I thought.

(2) Subjectivity of approach; the cult of the individual; the absolute uniqueness of every individual.

Characteristics of Romanticism

(3) Freedom of thought and expression. A revolt against authority and tyranny, against

the ancien regime, whether social, political, religious, or artistic.

Thomas Paine: “The Rights of Man.” Mary Wolstonecraft: “A Vindication of the Rights

of Woman” (1792)

Alienation and rebellion: Cult of Youth, Energy, and Idealism

Characteristics of Romanticism

(4) Idealization of Nature Embracing the uncivilized, the wild, the pre-

civilized. Rousseau: “Man is born free and everywhere he

is in chains.” In other words, civilization is in part the cause of our corruption.

The “noble savage,” and James Fennimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking novels, I.e. The Last of the Mohicans.

But there were 2 views of Nature

The first viewed nature as peaceful, calm, nurturing, a source for spiritual renewal. It often showed an innocent life of rural dwellers, a world of peace and harmondy which nurtures and comforts the human spirit. This is very much how Wordsworth viewed nature.

John Constable: The Hay Wain

BUT NATURE COULD ALSO BE FRIGHTENING IN ITS POWER, AND CAUSE A

DIZZYING SENSE OF AWE AND WONDER.

J.M.W. Turner: Avalanche

EDMUND BURKE DEFINED THESE TWO VIEWS OF NATURE AS:

• The beautifuland

• The sublime

A BRIEF SERIES OF PAINTINGS FROM THE ROMANTIC PERIOD Starting with Sir Joshua Reynolds, who was President of the Royal

Academy in England

BLAKE QUIT THE ROYAL ACADEMY PARTLY BECAUSE OF SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS

So, on to some of Blake works

TWO WORKS BY HENRY FUSELI, A SWISS ARTIST LIVING IN ENGLAND WHO WAS FRIENDS WITH BLAKE

ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING ARTISTS OF THE PERIOD IS

J.M.W. TURNERStarting with an early, fairly

conventional painting

AND THEN TO JOHN CONSTABLE

Who said, “I try to paint as if I had never seen a painting before.”

AND EUGENE DELACROIX

And . . . Caspar David Friedrich