por We explain what Romanticism is, its historical origin, the social context, its characteristics and main themes. In addition, we name their representatives and main works.
What is Romanticism?
He Romanticism was an artistic and cultural movement that arose out of late 18th century in Europe and lasted for most of the 19th century. During this period, artists and writers looked to the natural world and popular cultures for inspiration, rather than ancient Greek and Roman wisdom.
Romanticism manifested itself in a variety of disciplines, including literature, architecture, music and theater. The main themes addressed by the romantics were nature, love, death, freedom and revolution. They often explored darker themes, such as madness and death, and sought to establish a more emotional bond with the audience.
It was characterized by a greater importance given to the individual, subjectivity and feelingsas well as for a reaction against neoclassicism and rationality dominant at that time. The romantics believed that true human experiences could not be fully explained by reason, but also required imagination and feelings.
Origin and historical and social context of Romanticism
Romanticism developed in Europe, as a response to the Industrial Revolution, which had caused disappointment in some circles, which looked hopelessly at the values of the Enlightenment, related to permanent rationalization.
It arose from the 18th century, after the French Revolution of 1789, at a time of important social and cultural changes in Europe, which also influenced other regions of the world.
Based on the revolutionary ideals of liberty, fraternity and equalitythe romantic movement originally sought to highlight the deepest emotions and the irrational world.
In the environment of the time, various ideologies clashed: the absolutist, which refuses to disappear; the Enlightenment, based on the ideas of the French Revolution; and Romanticism, with a reaction to the two previous ones.
They begin to develop nationalist ideas based on the idea of »spirit of the people”, especially in the center of Europe, which was fed from almost mythological sources, from a glorious past.
Characteristics of Romanticism
Interest in humans common and in their infancy, beyond their positions or their political weight in a historical context.
Deep sense of emotionsthe individual ideas and feelings of the artists.
amazement by nature and interest in reflecting the sublime nature of natural phenomena, focusing not only on their beauty, but also on their possibility of devastation and their magnitude.
In opposition to neoclassicism, Romanticism highlighted freedom as a rebellion against established rules. Freedom was the ideal and the beginning of the romantic movement.
Elements like the imagination, mystery and passionsbecame central motors of artistic creation.
The topics that were explored were extremely variedand included landscapes, religious themes, revolutionary ideals, and non-traditional approaches to beauty.
The guide for much of the romantic creations was the artist’s mood or creator.
Main themes of Romanticism
revolution and democracy: the motto of the French Revolution became a theme of its own for Romanticism, and became a political ideal for many romantic artists.
The sublime and transcendence: the artists were fascinated by the notion of the sublime, a state that some classical Greek authors had already defined as an encounter of greatness and incalculable ecstasy, where the senses and the mind are eclipsed.
the power of imagination: the individual personality was essential for the romantic creators, who turned to go beyond the traditional limits, imagining and describing different ways to cross the known borders.
Nature: various authors turned to contemplate nature, redirecting the emotions they felt, during this observation exercise, towards their creations.
Protopsychology and altered mental states: Psychology as a discipline arose some time after Romanticism, but that did not stop the artists of this movement from talking about topics such as madness, pain and altered mental states.
the overflowing pain: For many romantics, pain was the creative motor, and they experienced it in a raw and overflowing way in many phases of their lives and careers, creating characters that also went in this direction.
Rejection of traditional religious beliefs: different romantic artists spoke out against the most deeply rooted religious traditions, and, in contrast, sought to recover the natural links with their own environment.
supernatural entities: Going beyond strict natural phenomena, there were authors who focused on entities such as ghosts or other paranormal phenomena.
human nature: In writing, much was said about the qualities of humans and the goodness that dwells in each person, reflecting optimistically on the nature of humanity.
Freedom: this precept was sought in all the arts, pursuing a free practice in the artistic, creative and also freedom of thought.
romanticism in literature
The literary romantic movement continues to influence writers to this day, and was characterized by focusing on individuals, with a unique perspective on each character, guided by impulses, emotions, and feelings.
It can be considered that it was a way of reacting to the social changes that were taking place at that time, including the French and American revolutions, which gave way to democratic governments.
It spanned from roughly 1750 to 1850, and its premise was to celebrate nature, revolutionary ideals, and a personal perspective on creation, involving individual ideas and experimenting with pain, melancholy, and isolation.
Representatives of romantic literature
Emily Bronte (1818-1848): novelist and poet, author of the famous novel wuthering heightsfull of imagination, passion and hatred, which is set in the moors of Yorkshire, a county in the north of England.
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849): storyteller, poet, critic and editor, renowned for his macabre and suspenseful stories. The modern detective novel began with his story The crimes of Rue Morgue, 1814.
Mary W Shelley (1797-1851): writer and playwright, author of the famous novel Frankenstein or the modern Prometheusconsidered the first science fiction story, thus inaugurating a new genre in fiction literature.
victor hugo (1802-1885): poet, novelist and playwright, considered one of the most important romantic French authors. He is recognized worldwide for his novel The Miserables.
Jane Austen (1775-1817): English writer who gave the novel a modern character, by portraying ordinary people in a different way. One of her best-known books is pride and prejudice.
Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870): is one of the most popular French authors. He dabbled in dramaturgy, the historical novel, and fiction. Two of his most famous works are The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers.
romanticism in music
The composers of the romantic period understood music as a means of individual expression, where emotions could be given free rein. For them, through musical pieces, it was possible to express the full range of emotions present in humanity.
They expected their works to connect deeply with the audience and, for this, they told stories that could have an impact, prioritizing emotional and narrative content, above form or technique.
Many of the rules established by classical composers were broken, although this did not mean a rejection of the canons of classicism, rather they used them as a basis for new proposals.
Representatives of romantic music
Richard Wagner (1813-1833): German composer and theorist who had a great influence on Western music. Among his main works are The Flying Dutchman1843, Tannhäusserof 1845, and Tristan and Isolde1865.
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901): is one of the most prominent Italian opera composers. Among his works stand out rigolettor, from 1851, the naughty, from 1853, aidafrom 1871 and requie massm, from 1874.
Carla Maria von Weber (1786-1826): German composer and opera director, who produced his works during the transition from classical music to romanticism. his opera Der Freischütz It is one of the most popular in Germany.
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911): Austrian-Jewish composer and conductor who is best known for his symphonies and songs with orchestra. His music was ignored for almost half a century and was later recovered and praised as a great influence on later musicians.
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904): He was the first Bohemian composer to achieve worldwide recognition. In his works he transformed pieces of folk modern in traditional romantic music.
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849): French-Polish composer and pianist, known for his solo piano pieces. Many of his works are rather brief and with them he achieved great recognition.
romanticism in painting
For romantic painters, the role of the artist should be active and never passive, that is, they did not focus solely on painting what was in front of them, but also on turning towards themselves and turning to their own creation.
He does not deny the existence of an objective reality, but affirms that this reality can only be described subjectively, taking into account the individual position of each person, so the answers that art can give are always imaginative and personal.
There was a great receptivity to feelings, without neglecting reason, since rationality was simply sought to be a tool for regulating emotions, and not to become a single perspective of action.
Romantic representatives of painting
Theodore Gericault (1791-1824): French painter and lithographer, who captured the famous work in oil on canvas the raft of the jellyfishin 1819. He is considered one of the pioneers of the romantic movement.
Anne Valayer-Coster (1744-1818): French painter who was born into a family of artists. Her social status allowed her to circumvent the restrictions imposed on women at the time and she was elected as a member of the Académie Royale, when she was 26 years old. Notable work: Nature morte au Homard, from 1816.
Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863): French artist who was a leader of the romantic movement in his country. He was inspired by the art of Rubens, a Baroque painter. One of the most famous paintings of him is Freedom guiding the people, from 1830.
Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun (1755-1842): French painter who was one of the most in-demand portrait painters…