Romanticism: Key Historical Moments and Concepts

Introduction

• Romanticism is a significant historical event defined by a new set of ideas, mindsets, and feelings.
• Originated in mid-18th century Western Europe among artists, poets, and philosophers; spread globally.
• Influenced perceptions of nature, children, love, sex, money, and work.
• Reaction to modern world developments like industrialization, urbanization, secularization, and consumerism.

Key Figures and Events in Romanticism

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's "Emile" (1762)

• Published in Paris; emphasizes the natural goodness, spontaneity, and wisdom of children.
• Criticizes adult rationality and bureaucratic society.
• Advocates for maternal breastfeeding, a novel idea at the time.

Thomas Chatterton's Death (1770)

• Young poet in London, commits suicide due to lack of recognition and familial pressures.
• Becomes a symbol for the romantic ideal of the sensitive, doomed artist.
• Introduced the concept of the "romantic hero," a noble misunderstood figure.

Goethe's "The Sorrows of Young Werther" (1774)

• Published in Leipzig; tells of a tragic love affair emphasizing heart over rationality.
• Popularized the romantic ethos of following one's emotions.
• Influential in reshaping notions of love, emphasizing emotional expression.

Francisco Goya’s "The Sleep of Reason Brings out Monsters" (1798)

• Created in Madrid, highlights the romantic interest in irrationality and madness.
• Critiques the overemphasis on rationality and science.

William Wordsworth in The Lake District (1799)

• Moves to Dove Cottage, writes poetry celebrating nature against industrialization.
• Promotes the natural world and criticizes mechanical, industrial progress.

Thomas Cole's Paintings of Niagara Falls (1829)

• American painter depicts grand natural scenes, elevating nature over human achievement.
• Romanticism finds God-like emotions in nature’s vastness.

Augustus Pugin's Design of the British Parliament (1847)

• New building designed in medieval style to evoke pre-industrial nobility.
• Romanticism’s admiration for the Middle Ages as opposed to modern industrial society.

Charles Baudelaire’s Flâneur (1863)

• Parisian poet celebrates the flâneur, a leisurely observer of city life.
• Romantic admiration for playfulness and lack of practical concerns.

Paul Gauguin in Tahiti (1891)

• French painter seeks escape from Western civilization, lives in Tahiti.
• Uses art to critique modern civilization as corrupt and artificial.

Impact of Romanticism

• Romanticism has deeply impacted modern sensibilities, opposing the rational and technological.
• Advocates for irrationality, the untrained, exotic, childlike, and naive aspects of life.
• Suggests a balance between modernity and romantic ideals could lead to a more mature, evolved society.