7.8 - 19th-Century Culture and Arts

Romantic Art

Overview:

• Flourishing of Romanticism: In this period, Romanticism came into its full expression, rejecting the cold rationality of Enlightenment thinking and the precise forms of Neoclassicism.

• Core Principles: Romanticism valued raw emotion and subjectivity as the highest forms of artistic expression.

Key Themes in Romantic Art:

Emotion:

• Focus on Raw Emotion: Romantic artists prioritized emotion over the precise, predictable lines of Neoclassical art.

• Example: Eugène Delacroix’s Christ on the Sea of Galilee emphasizes the intense emotion of the scene, moving away from the photorealistic detail of earlier art.

Nature:

• Emphasis on Nature: Nature was a central theme in Romantic art, often depicted with a sense of awe and power.

• Example: Caspar David Friedrich’s Seashore By Moonlight captures the heavy, almost tangible presence of nature.

Individuality:

• Celebration of the Individual: Romantic art often highlighted the individual’s experience and personal connection to the world.

• Example: Friedrich’s Wanderer above the Sea of Fog depicts a lone figure facing the vast, foggy landscape, symbolizing the individual’s encounter with the sublime.

Intuition:

• Value of Intuition: Romantics believed in an intuitive understanding of the world, which they saw as more profound than analytical reasoning.

• Example: William Wordsworth’s poetry celebrates the hidden glory in everyday objects, suggesting that intuitive insight is superior to mere analysis.

The Supernatural:

• Exploration of the Supernatural: Many Romantic artists delved into themes of the supernatural, focusing on the mystical aspects of existence.

• Example: William Blake’s poetry explores the depths of Heaven and Hell with an emphasis on the emotional and spiritual experience rather than logical thought.

National History:

• Nationalist Sentiment: Some Romantic artists were inspired by nationalism and used their work to portray their national histories with emotion and intuition.

• Examples:

  • Francisco Goya’s The Third of May 1808 depicts the emotional intensity of Spanish rebels being executed by French forces, blending historical narrative with Romantic drama.

  • Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture celebrates Russia’s defense against Napoleon, using music to evoke deep national pride and emotional response.

Realism

Emergence and Principles:

• Realism as a Response: In the mid-19th century, Realism emerged as a dominant art form, overlapping with Romanticism but differing in its intent. Realist artists sought to portray the world as it was, focusing on the everyday lives of ordinary people.

• Rejection of Romanticism: Unlike Romanticism, which emphasized emotion and subjective experience, Realism aimed for accurate and unembellished depictions of life.

Key Figures in Realism:

• Gustave Courbet:

  • Example: The Stone Breakers portrays two men engaged in the mundane task of breaking stones, emphasizing the ordinary and the real.

• Jean-François Millet:

  • Example: The Gleaners depicts French peasants working in the fields, dignifying their labor through the focus of the painting, contrasting with the broader societal disregard for their work.

Realism in Literature:

• Honoré de Balzac:

  • Pioneered the modern novel, creating complex and common characters that reflected everyday life.

  • His work influenced Charles Dickens, who often focused on the struggles of the working class and the peasantry.

• Charles Dickens:

  • His novels often critiqued the environmental and social degradation brought on by the Industrial Revolution.

Modern Art

Transition from Realism to Modern Art:

• Impact of Photography: As photography became more widespread, painters shifted away from realistic depictions, leading to more abstract and subjective art forms.

Impressionism:

• Focus on Light and Color: Impressionism emerged in the late 19th century, focusing on light and color rather than detailed realism.

• Example: Claude Monet’s Haystacks demonstrates the shift away from clear, realistic depictions to a more emotional and impressionistic approach.

Post-Impressionism:

• Evolution of Impressionism: Post-Impressionism developed as a reaction to Impressionism, using color and light more symbolically.

• Key Figures:

  • Paul Cézanne: Considered the father of Post-Impressionism, exemplified in his Portrait of Ambroise Vollard.

  • Vincent van Gogh: Starry Night is a well-known example where the focus is on evoking emotion and awe through unrealistic colors and swirling lines.

Cubism:

• Radical Shift in Representation: In the early 20th century, Cubism emerged, moving even further away from realism. It depicted three-dimensional objects in a fragmented, two-dimensional space.

• Key Figure: Pablo Picasso, the most famous Cubist artist, illustrated this style in works like Woman with a Mustard Pot, where the subject is portrayed in a nonsensical, abstract form.