Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in the late 18th century and peaked between 1800-1850. It valued emotion, individualism, and nature. Romantic artists depicted strong feelings, awe of nature, and the imagination. They used techniques like dramatic brushwork, bold colors, and realistic detail to convey emotion. Famous Romantic artists included Friedrich, Turner, Delacroix, and Goya. Their iconic works expressed themes of the sublime, individualism, and political ideas through landscapes, seascapes, and history paintings.

1. ROMANTICISMTheArtisticExpressionofLiberalism

2. TopicOutline
Characteristics
Theme&symbolism
Techniques
Famousartists&greatWorks

3. What is Romanticism?Why is it “ROMANTIC”?

4. ROMANTICISM
 It was an artistic, literary, musical, and
intellectual movement that originated in
Europe toward the end of the 18th century,
and in most areas was at its peak in the
approximate period from 1800 to 1850.
 It was distinguished by a new interest in
human psychology, expression of personal
feeling and interest in the natural world.

5.  Romanticism from the root word "Roman" in the various
European languages, such as romance and
Romanesque, has a complicated history, but by the
middle of the 18th century romantic in English and
romantique in French were both in common use as
adjectives of praise for natural phenomena such as
views and sunsets, in a sense close to modern English
usage but without the sexual connotation.
ROMANTICISM

6. CHARACTERISTICSOF ROMANTICISM

7.  Romantics believed in the natural
goodness of humans which is hindered
by the urban life of civilization. They
believed that the savage is noble,
childhood is good and the emotions
inspired by both beliefs causes the heart
to soar.
INTEREST IN THE COMMON MAN AND CHILDHOOD
BOY AND RABBIT (1814)

8.  Romantics believed that
knowledge is gained
through intuition rather than
deduction. This is best
summed up by Wordsworth
who stated that “all good
poetry is the spontaneous
overflow of powerful
feelings.”
STRONG SENSES, EMOTIONS, AND FEELINGS
MOONRISE BY THE SEA (1822)

9.  Romantics stressed the awe
of nature in art and
language and the
experience of sublimity
through a connection with
nature. Romantics rejected
the rationalization of nature
by the previous thinkers of
the Enlightenment period.
AWE OF NATURE
THE ARCADIAN/PASTORAL STATE (1836)

10.  Romantics often elevated the
achievements of the
misunderstood, heroic
individual outcast.
CELEBRATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL
PORTRAIT OF JEAN-BAPTISTE BELLEY (1797)

11.  Romantics legitimized the
individual imagination as a
critical authority.
IMPORTANCE OF IMAGINATION
WANDERER ABOVE THE SEA OF FOG (1818)

12. THEME & SYMBOLISMOF ROMANTICISM

13.  The motto of the
French Revolution –
Liberté, égalité,
fraternité (liberty,
equality, brotherhood)
– sums up an
essential political
preoccupation of the
Romantic Period.
REVOLUTION, DEMOCRACY, AND
REPUBLICANISM
THE RAFT OF THE MEDUSA (1818-1819)

14.  Many artists and
intellectuals during this
time sought out sublime
experiences which, in
part, explains the
fascination with travel
literature, mountain
climbing, powerful storms,
and other sensational
experiences.
THE SUBLIME AND TRANSCENDENCE
SNOW STORM: HANNIBAL AND HIS ARMY
CROSSING THE ALPS (1812)

15. PROTO-PSYCHOLOGY & EXTREME
MENTAL STATES
 Romantic-era
artists were
fascinated by
madness, grief,
and other
extreme emotional
and mental states.
PORTRAIT OF A KLEPTOMANIAC (1822)

16.  In general, Romantic-era
writers rejected
traditional religious
belief. Nature is
frequently used as a
metaphor for the sublime:
the power and mystery
of forces that inspired
awe, solace, and self-
discovery.
NATURE AND THE NATURAL
VALLEY OF AOSTA: SNOWSTORM, AVALANCHE,
AND THUNDERSTORM (1836-1837)

17. TECHNIQUESOF ROMANTICISM

18.  Impasto is a painting technique occassionally
used by Naturalists and Romantic-era painters.
Paint is thickly layered onto a canvas, often with
visible brush or knife strokes. It is used to add the
artist’s emotion to the painting. It is also used to
carefully manage light and background foliage.
IMPASTO

19. KEELMEN HEAVING IN COALS BY
MOONLIGHT (1835)

20.  Romantic-era artists fashioned themselves as
neoclassical painters and paid close attention to
detail. The scenes were always realistic, and the
human figures conveyed distinct emotion and
expressions. Bold brush strokes were used for
skies and landscapes. However, tight and precise
lines were used for human figures and objects in
the foreground.
DETAILED BRUSH STROKES

21. DEDHAM VALE (1828)

22.  As the primary means to
convey emotion, Romantic
artists used bold colors
and sharp contrasts. In
many Romantic paintings,
the skies are dark or
cloudy. The background is
almost always black or
darkly shadowed that
express a fear of the
unknown or some sort of
looming danger.
COLOR
THE RAFT OF THE MEDUSA (1818-1819)

23. FAMOUS ARTISTSOF ROMANTICISM

24.  A German Romantic landscape painter,
generally considered the most important
German artist of his generation.
 Best known for his mid-period allegorical
landscapes with contemplative figures
silhouetted against night skies, morning
mists, barren trees, or megalithic ruins.
CASPAR DAVID FRIEDRICH (1774-1840)

25.  An English Romantic painter,
printmaker, and watercolorist
 Known for his expressive
colorizations, imaginative
landscapes and turbulent, often
violent marine paintings
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER (1775-1851)

26.  A French Romantic artist regarded from
the outset of his career as the leader of
the French Romantic school.
 His use of color was influential in the
development of both Impressionist and
Post-Impressionist painting.
 His inspiration came chiefly from
historical or contemporary events or
literature.
FERDINAND VICTOR EUGÈNE DELACROIX (1798-1863)

27.  A Spanish Romantic painter and
printmaker
 Often referred to as both the last
of the Old Masters and the first
of the moderns
 He suffered a terrible illness
which left him deaf, and led him
to begin producing much darker
paintings and etchings.
FRANCISCO JOSÈ DE GOYA (1746-1828)

28.  An English landscape painter in the
naturalistic tradition
 Known principally for his landscape
paintings of Dedham Vale, the area
surrounding his home – now known as
“Constable Country”
 He said: “I should paint my own places
best, for painting is but another word for
feeling.”
JOHN CONSTABLE (1776-1837)

29.  A French painter and pupil of
Jacques-Louis David, who
participated in the early
Romantic movement by including
elements of eroticism in his
paintings.
 Is remembered for his precise
and clear style and for his
paintings of members of the
Napoleonic family.
ANNE-LOUIS GIRODET DE ROUSSY-TRIOSON (1767-1824)

30. GREAT WORKSOF ROMANTICISM

31. WANDERER ABOVE THE
SEA OF FOG (1818)
FISHERMEN AT SEA (1796)

32. SNOW STORM: STEAM-BOAT OFF A
HARBOUR’S MOUTH (1842)
LIBERTY LEADING THE
PEOPLE (1830)

33. THE THIRD OF MAY 1808 (1814)

34. THE HAY WAIN (1821)
THE FUNERAL OF ATALA
(1808)

35. THANK YOU!
JOSSIE MAE C. BORRES
PHARMACY – 1E