The Artistic Expression of Liberalism

1. ROMANTICISM: The Artistic Expression of Liberalism

2. The Spirit of the Age (1790-1850) • A sense of a shared vision among the Romantics. • Early support of the French Revolution. • Rise of the individual  alienation. • Dehumanization of industrialization. • Radical poetics / politics  an obsessionwith violent change. • The Anti- Enlightenment?

3. 1. Emotions! Passion! Irrationality! Anti-Spivackian?

4. A Growing Distrust of Reason Early19c Enlightenment Romanticism Society is good, curbing violent impulses! Civilization corrupts! • The essence of human experience is subjective and emotional. • Human knowledge is a puny thing compared to other great historical forces. • “Individual rights” are dangerous efforts at selfishness  the community is more important.

5. The Romantic Movement • Began in the 1790s and peaked in the 1820s. • Mostly in Northern Europe, especially in Britain and Germany. • A reaction against classicism. • The “Romantic Hero:” • Greatest example was Lord Byron • Tremendously popular among the European reading public. • Youth imitated his haughtiness and rebelliousness.

6. Characteristics of Romanticism The Engaged & Enraged Artist: • The artist apart from society. • The artist as social critic/revolutionary. • The artist as genius.

7. Wandering Above the Sea of FogCaspar David Friedrich,1818

8. 2. The "Rugged" Individual

9. Characteristics of Romanticism The Individual/ The Dreamer: • Individuals have unique, endless potential. • Self-realization comes through art • Artists are the true philosophers.

10. The Dreamer Gaspar David Friedrich, 1835

11. Solitary Tree Caspar David Friedrich, 1823

12. 3. The Power & Fury of Nature

13. Characteristics of Romanticism Glorification of Nature: • Peaceful, restorative qualities [an escape from industrialization and the dehumanization it creates]. • Awesome, powerful, horrifying aspects of nature. • Indifferent to the fate of humans. • Overwhelming power of nature.

14. An Avalanche in the AlpsPhilip James de Loutherbourg, 1803

15. Sunset After a Storm On the Coast of Sicily – Andreas Achenbach, 1853

16. The DelugeFrancis Danby, 1840

17. Tree of CrowsCaspar David Friedrich, 1822

18. The Wreck of the Hope (aka The Sea of Ice)Caspar David Friedrich, 1821

19. Shipwreck – Joseph Turner, 1805

20. The Eruption of Vesuvius - John Martin

21. 4.Science Can Be Dangerous!

22. Isaac Newton – William Blake, 1795

23. What the Hell? • Blake's opposition to the Enlightenment was deeply rooted. He wrote in his annotations to the Laocoon "Art is the Tree of Life. Science is the Tree of Death.”Newton's theory of optics was especially offensive to Blake, who made a clear distinction between the vision of the "vegetative eye" and spiritual vision. The deistic view of God as a distant creator who played no role in daily affairs was anathema to Blake, who regularly experienced spiritual visions. He opposes his "four-fold vision" to the "single vision" of Newton, whose "natural religion" of scientific materialism he characterized as sterile. • The painting was created to convey Newton’s doubts of God and his obliviousness to God‘s creation of everything. Newton’s strict concepts on science ruled his life. Blake described that through his painting by symbolizing that Newton was stuck in the circle that he drew with his compass. Meaning that he was so wrapped up with his thoughts and ideas, he could not see reason with Blake’s ideas and thoughts about imagination to step outside of his circle. • Newton was incorporated into Blake's infernal trinity along with the Francis Bacon and John Locke.

24. 5. The "New" Technology Is Dehumanizing

25. Rain, Steam, and SpeedJoseph Mallord William Turner, 1844

26. Rain, Steam, & Speed(details)

27. The Fighting Temeraire Tugged to Her Last Berth to be Broken Up, J.M.W. Turner, 1838

28. 6. Romanticizing Country Life

29. Flatford Mill – John Constable, 1817

30. The Corn FieldJohn Constable,1826

31. The Hay Wain - John Constable, 1821

32. 7. The Gothic: "Romanticizing" the Middle Ages

33. Characteristics of Romanticism Revival of Past Styles: • Gothic & Romanesque revival. • “Neo-Gothic” architectural style. • Medieval ruins were a favorite theme for art and poetry.

34. Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop’s GroundJohn Constable, 1825

35. Salisbury Cathedral from the MeadowsJohn Constable, 1831

36. Hadleigh Castle - John Constable, 1829

37. Eldena RuinGaspar David Friedrich, 1825

38. Winter Landscape with ChurchGaspar David Friedrich, 1811

39. British Houses of Parliament1840-1865

40. 8. The Exotic, the Occult, and the Macabre!

41. Characteristics of Romanticism The Supernatural: • Ghosts, fairies, witches, demons. • The shadows of the mind—dreams & madness. • The romantics rejected materialism in pursuit of spiritual self-awareness. • They yearned for the unknown and the unknowable.

42. Cloister Cemetery in the SnowCaspar David Friedrich, 1817-1819

43. Abbey in an Oak ForestCaspar David Friedrich, 1809-1810

44. Mad Woman With a Mania of Envy TheodoreGericault, 1822-1823

45. The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the SunWilliam Blake, 1808-1810

46. Stonehenge - John Constable, 1836

47. Nightmare (The Incubus)Henry Fuseli, 1781

48. Manfred and the Witch of the AlpsJohn Martin - 1837

49. Witches SabbathFrancisco Goya,1798

50. Saturn DevoursHis SonFrancisco Goya,1819-1823