Romanticism is an art moment which united people long ago and is seen in many forms of art such as painting, literature, music and even architecture. The movement began all the way in the 18th century however it can still be seen to this day. It began in western Europe in response to the age of enlightenment and the industrial revolution which romanticists heavily disliked as it went against their values and beliefs. The age of enlightenment was about putting science and reason over feelings and beliefs. The Industrial revolution was about the industrialisation of towns and cities and large scale manufacturing which caused the birth of capitalism.
This is the opposite of the romanticist beliefs which focused on the beauty and glorification of nature with some seeing it as a powerful unstoppable force. They also valued human emotion, imagination and feelings with them viewing it as an ‘aesthetic experience’. Romanticists had an interest in folk culture and the medieval era as they didn’t like the current societal changes and saw it as past glory, it is also where the name romanticism comes from as it comes from medieval romance.
Popular romanticism art work
Romanticism artwork likes to include elements of beauty and the sublime as well as landscape and seascapes. Another type of artwork they produce is of battles as if they are fighting against the movements and economical changes taking place at the time.
How did romanticism begin
William Wordsworth is regarded as being the founder of romanticism especially in England and also as being one of the greatest romantic poets as he was also a poet who strongly believed that poetry should reflect emotion and feelings. Born in Cumberland, England on the 7 April 1770. In 1787 he attended St John’s College in Cambridge. Wordsworth would spend a lot of his holidays while he was at the collage on walking tours including some in europe visiting places known for their beauty and landscapes.
“Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher” – william wordsworth
In 1793 he published his first set of poems called An Evening Walk and a set called Descriptive Sketches. Two years after this in 1795 he met the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge with the two of them quickly becoming friends. in 1797 the pair moved to somerset and two years later published Lyrical Ballads which was created by the both of them and is generally regarded as the starting point for romanticism it also included one of wordsworth’s most popular poems: Tintern Abbey.
The Sublime
The Sublime is a key element seen in romanticism and is designed to give you feelings of awe, terror and danger. Romanticists saw nature as being the most sublime as it could create the strongest feelings in people.
Shipwrecks and were commonly seen in sublime paintings as the sea was seen as beautiful with it being used alot in romanticism and the shipwrecks could provide people of feelings of awe, terror and danger, these were commonly accompanied with stormy weather which really added to the effect of these feelings and help show that nature was a powerful and unstoppable force.
