Romantic & Classical Art

Romanticism was an artistic movement which originated in Europe and took place roughly between the 1800's - 1880's. It is said to have been initiated as a response to the Industrial Revolution and backfire towards Neo-Classicism as the two were culturally conflicting. As a dominant art style which spanned for decades, the movement and its artists aimed to apprehend the likes of beauty, inquisitiveness, and emotional values within their work. Their revival of medieval-ism during this period was perceived as an attempt to escape the likes of industrialism and population growth - a factor which can be seen within many artistic works from this era.

Classicism was believed to have started in 15th Century Rome, having been revived between 1800 - 1900 to coincide with Romanticism. This particular movement pursued a more formal and restrained approach to art, seeking to capture the same essence of beauty found in Romanticism but in turn rejecting the emotional value they expressed within their movement.

ROMANTICISM ART EXAMPLES:

Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog,
Caspar David Friedrich,
1818

This particular piece by Friedrich conveys a strong sense of open space and freedom, reflecting the efforts in which this movement went through in order to break free of the cultivation of people during this period. The use of a vast and sublime landscape also resonates both the beauty and inquisitiveness often portrayed in Romanticism and creates a strong link with nature, an important aspect within this movement as a close connection with the natural world was considered mentally and morally healthy - especially for artists. The tonal values of this piece are definitely an admirable detail, too, as they create contrast and enhance the use of perspective - giving the viewer a true sense of the space conveyed within the image. The positioning of the male figure, shown to be looking across the beautiful (and completely natural) landscape, plays an important role i this piece as it suggests the figure is in awe at the view in front of him, reflecting the new-found emotional aesthetics of Romanticism and even channeling the emotions of the artist (a highly regarded and important portrayal within this movement).

Winter Afternoon,
Hans Gude,
(1847)

Another piece from this period which reflects heavily upon the beauty of nature is this image by Hans Gude. The scene depicted is of snowy banks and mountains littered with trees and a few small cabins - a very freeing and breathtaking view to say the least. What struck me most about this painting was the sheer vibrancy of the sky in contrast to the rest of the surroundings. Gude's use of colours is unmistakably accurate to that which you would see during a real afternoon sky, and the hints of these colours reflected within the surrounding snow creates such a vivid sense of realism that the viewer almost feels as if they were present. This again reflects the idea that many people/artists within this movement sought escape from the ever growing population, and in producing artwork like this I believe they may have achieved that escape if not only for a moment.

CLASSICISM ART EXAMPLE:

The Birth of Venus,
Botticelli,
(1486)

This piece is from before the revival of Classicism and is instead taken from the presumed beginnings of the movement. I feel that Botticelli's portrayals of the subjects involved in this piece help reflect the beauty they so often captured within this movement, and in having the focus a nude woman (Venus) it seems to emulate their appreciation of the human form. The scenery surrounding the figures is also very lush and appealing, however it lacks the emotional quality found in the style of Romanticism.

The difference between the two conflicting styles appears to be the fact that Classicism created aesthetically pleasing art which merely involved pleasing the viewers eye, where as Romanticism created art which was not only aesthetically pleasing but emotionally freeing. This idea is reinforced when comparing each of the examples. When looking at the visual examples provided for Romanticism, the art work stirs an emotional reaction and allows the viewer to physically feel something towards the piece. In comparison, the example given for Classicism still evokes a breathtaking awe from the viewer, but it becomes less of a physical feeling and more of an admiration of the beauty depicted within the piece. As a whole, each style displays their differences but are equally as beautiful, and it's fascinating to witness how they co-existed during the same period yet differed so vastly from one another.