Romanticism is a documentary segment in the series Landmarks of Western Art. The short film described the period of Romanticism and introduced some important artists from the Romantic period, including Jacques-Louis David, Theodore Gericault, Sir Edmund Burke, Eugene Delacroix, Francisco de Goya, John Constable, J.M.W. Turner, and Caspar David Friedrich.
Romanticism was a cultural movement during the later half of the eighteenth century. Heavily influenced by the French Revolution and the philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Romanticism marked a shift from adhering to the constraints of a conventional neoclassical period to focus on the individual. Sometimes featuring frightening, disturbing, and stormy images, Romantic artists strove to represent personal emotion on canvas.
The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters etching by de Goya
Because Romanticism emphasizes the individual and his emotions, it follows that a common motif within Romanticism is that of the lonely hero and his experiences with society, emotion, and identity. The isolation of the individual is often emphasized by the prominence of nature as another essential theme within the Romantic Movement. Nature is often depicted as overpowering the individual, and contrast between society and nature is a topic within many Romantic paintings.
Wanderer above the Sea of Fog oil painting by Friedrich
I was particularly inspired by the work of J.M.W. Turner, an English painter. His use of contrasting warm and cool colors and his conveyance of motion using unfocused images within his paintings create very interesting pieces. Somewhat abstracted, his paintings are vivid and passionate.
Rain, Steam, and Speed – The Great Western Railway oil painting by Turner
Romanticism is a fascinating period in art history. Modern, passionate, and quietly heroic, Romantic art is a tribute to the newfound liberty of the people of its time.
