The Essence of Romanticism: An Exploration of Its Impact on Art History
Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that took place from the late 1700s to mid 1800s, often estimated from 1780 to 1850. A definition I found that I felt explained the era the best was “In Romantic art, nature—with its uncontrollable power, unpredictability, and potential for cataclysmic extremes—offered an alternative to the ordered world of Enlightenment thought.” This is from Kathryn Callet Galitz, an art historian who focuses on the late eighteenth and nineteenth century. Trough out this article I’ll talk about the historical context and origins of the Romantic era along with its major themes. Towards the end I’ll mentioning specific literary and artistic figures who helped shape and define the era. Overall, the Romanic period in art history captivates my attention and once you learn more, it will capture your too.
Romanticism surfaced in the late 1700s as an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement as a counter to the Industrial Revolution. The term Romantism was first used in Germany in the late 1700s and popularized by 1815 around most of Europe. “By the late 1800s Romanticism had become a dominant art movement throughout the Western world.” Prior to Romanticism there were interest in medieval romance contrasting with the formality of traditional classical literature, the emotional literacy became a part of Romantic literature. The key elements in the political influence of Romanticisms were the emphasis on individuality, freedom, and the figure of the hero, influencing revolutionary leaders’ movements. The French Revolution had a major influence with how Romantic thinkers were dealing with the legacy and promise of liberty. There was also influence on religious events during the time, religions were bettering themselves to advocate for their beliefs of society and politics. Romanticism cultivated a strong interest in nationalism and folk culture, which then crucially impacted the shaping of the 19th century in Europe. The emphasis on cultural nationalism reforming languages and exploring national pasts laying groundwork for national statehood claims was backed by poets and scholars of the time. The interest in folk culture in national and ethnic cultures and medieval eras. They dynamic relationship between the ancient traditions and outside influences, then resulting in rich culture. Some characteristics of folk culture that carry through into romanticism include appreciation of nature’s beauty, a new view of the artist as a supremely individual creator, and a predilection for the exotic, the remote, the mysterious, the weird, the occult, the monstrous, the diseased, and even the satanic. Combined these cultural, political, and artistic forces reveal how romanticism reshaped thought by emphasizing emotion, identity, and the power of individual imagination.
Romanticism had many different themes and characteristics; these focused on the major ideas explored and how these ideas appeared in art and literature. The major themes that and uniform throughout the Romantic era include individualism, nature, and emotion over reason. While these themes show through the characteristic as dramatic emotional expression, glorification of nature, and a focus on individual heroism. Romanticism follows the cultural movement of Neoclassicalism, which finds inspiration in the aesthetics of ancient civilizations. In summery Romanticism is art the evokes feeling, whether in the form of physical art or literary art. “Both the English poet and artist William Blake and the Spanish painter Francisco Goya have been dubbed "fathers" of Romanticism by various scholars for their works' emphasis on subjective vision, the power of the imagination, and an often darkly critical political awareness.” The darker angle of Romanticism that is anxiety, imaginary, and even insanity was often called dark romanticism, “Where characters find themselves facing frightful fantastic demons.” The theme of dramatic emotion shows through art and literature used to evoke strong feelings, whether good or bad. Some artist used bold contrast of light and shadow or use of rich and intense color to do this while others used powerful imagery. The characteristic of focus on individual heroism connects to the theme of individualism. The figures of this consisted of Romanic hero softer portrayed as larger than life heroes, often men who are ordinary in skills, strengths, and courage. They are of then ruthless to enemies, while living by a personal code of honor, and kind to those who are good. There are many artist depictions of this including a work by Théodore Géricault, who captured the heroism and suffering in her works. Within Romanticism nature is seen as a living, spiritual, and sublime force, due to this there is a glorification of nature throughout Romanticism work. Nature is characterized by the deepened appreciation of natural beauties, through artist person feelings with the changing aspect of nature and a belief that there is a divine mind of nature. Artist who painted landscapes often embraced the wide-reaching romantic movement and infused their art with aspects of passion and drama. Romanticism characteristic also showed through architecture with imitations of older styles and eccentric buildings. The Gothic style was particularly appealing to people during the romantic era. Altogether, Romanticism stands as an artistic and literary movement the celebrated emotion, imagination, individuality, and sublime forces if nature, leaving a long last influence on creative expression for generations to come.
Romanticism was shaped by many different key literary figures, poets and novelist. Some of the more well-known novels from the Romantic era consist of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Wuthering Hights by Emily Bronte, and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. While themes of the Romanticism era are shown through different characteristics between art and literature, the same themes apply. The deep appreciation of natural beauty, view of artist as supremely individual creators, and exaggerations of emotion. Though the interest in folk culture showed more through the literary elements as well. Two well-known poems at the time are “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth also sometimes known as “Daffodils” and “Frost at Midnight” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. They key elements most shown through novelists are the prioritizing of emotion, imagination, and individualism. While the characteristics most shown through poems were emphasis on the individual, emotional and imaginative thinking, and valuing feeling over reason. While both novelist and poets used the same themes, they used their words differently to convey them.
Romantic era paintings represented the shift from neoclassicism to the romanticism through the emphasis of the individual, emotion, and imagination. Often drawing connections and inspiration from nature, the supernatural, and medieval themes. I’m going to talk about two different works from this era, one by Casper David Friedrich and one by J.M.W. Turner. One from 1818 and one from years later in 1840, showing the development of romanticism through paintings, both works are done with oil on canvas. Friedrichs painting called “Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog”, depicts a man stepping out upon a rocky shore surveying the landscape before him. Before him is a swirl of clouds, tall rocks, and majestic peaks far in the distance. Friedrich depicts a singular figure seemingly overwhelmed by the daunting view before him. “Friedrich was a master of presenting the sublimity of nature in its infinite boundlessness and tempestuousness.” This work is from 1818, so towards the beginning of the Romantic era, while still captivating the many themes of the era. Now the work by J.M.W. Turner is also done with oil on canvas but is from 1840, which is towards the end of the romantic era. Turner’s piece called “The Slave Ship”, depicts a seascape. The chaos of gray and blue waves bellow and a stormy yellow and red sky above. On the horizon to the left you can see ship without sales heading directly into the dark and seemingly unsafe waters. Closser in the foreground to the right you can see shackled human forms floating in the water while sharks and other fish circle and try to get close to the flailing swimmers. I chose this piece to talk about due to the heaviness and social significance to this era. “Turner painted this image after reading Thomas Clarkson's The History and Abolition of the Slave Trade (1808) that recounted how the captain of the slave ship Zong ordered 133 slaves thrown overboard so that he could collect the insurance payments on his human cargo.” He was able to capture the feeling one would have while reading about something like this into a physical painting that evokes the same feeling. Turner’s use of quick brush strokes creates a beautiful sense of frenzy and panic while depicting the subject. Along with his use of color to convey the emotion intensity of the situation and in connection with the ray of light that seems to be diving the sea in half in an almost apocalyptic way, there is a sense of divine witness to the tragic event. Together through Friedrich, Turner and many others work of illustrating the evolution of the Romanticism in art your able to see how artist used individual perspective, emotion, and dramatic imagery to engage with both the beauty of nature and the moral and social issues of their time.
Romanticism from the mid 1700s to mid 1800s had many different lasting effects on social and political influence, to art and literature. This effect having consistent themes of individualism, nature, and human emotion over reason. With popular work from this time still being well know and considered classics like Frankenstein or Jane Eyre. Ultimately, Romanticism reshaped art and literature through use of emotion, imagination and individuality, allowing artist and writers to explore the beauties of nature and complex exempts of the human experience leaving a lasting impact.
Final Word Count: 1578 words
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Britannica. “Romanticism.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Edited by René Ostberg, 27 Oct. 2024, www.britannica.com/art/Romanticism.
Galitz, Kathryn Calley. “Romanticism - the Metropolitan Museum of Art.” Metmuseum.org, 1 Oct. 2004, www.metmuseum.org/essays/romanticism.
María, Angel, and Reginald P.C Mutter. “Romantic Literature | Books, Characteristics, Examples, Time Period, Authors, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Mar. 2025, www.britannica.com/art/Romantic-literature.
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Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. London, Smith, Elder & Co., 19 Oct. 1847.
Friedrich, Casper David. Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, 1818.
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Frankenstein, Or, the Modern Prometheus. 1818. New York, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Margaret Tournour. Frost at Midnight. Newcastle Upon Tyne, Villa Vic P, 1991.
Turner, J.M.W. The Slave Ship, 1840.
Wordsworth, William. “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.” Baltimore, Md., Enoch Pratt Free Library, 1934.
Friedrich, Casper David. Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, 1818.
Turner, J.M.W. The Slave Ship, 1840.
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