Romanticism, Realism, and the Evolution of Art

Romanticism

• Response to Rationalism:

  • Romanticism emerged as a reaction to the Enlightenment's rationality and neoclassical art's precision.
  • Emphasized raw emotion and subjectivity.

• Key Themes of Romanticism:

  1. Emotion:
     • Exuberance and defiance of cold, hard lines.
     • Example: Eugene Delacroix's "Christ on the Sea of Galilee".
  2. Nature:
     • Landscape paintings conveying natural beauty.
     • Example: Caspar David Friedrich's "Seashore by Moonlight".
  3. Individuality:
     • Celebrating personal perspective and experience.
     • Example: Friedrich's "Wanderer above a Sea of Fog".
  4. Intuition:
     • Understanding the world without logical reasoning.
     • Example: William Wordsworth's poetry capturing everyday glory.
  5. Supernatural:
     • Exploration of mystical and otherworldly themes.
     • Example: William Blake's works on Heaven and Hell.
  6. National History:
     • Nationalism reflected in art.
     • Example: Francisco Goya’s "The Third of May" and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.

Realism

• Emergence:

  • Realism emerged in the second half of the 19th century.
  • Aimed to depict the world as it truly was, focusing on everyday life.

• Key Figures:

  • Gustave Courbet:
    • Example: "The Stone Breakers" - depiction of ordinary life.
  • Jean-François Millet:
    • Example: "The Gleaners" - dignifying peasant life.

• Realist Literature:

  • Honoré de Balzac:
    • Influenced the modern novel, complex characters.
  • Charles Dickens:
    • Critiqued the industrial revolution's impact on society and environment.

Transition to Modern Art

• Photography's Influence:
  • As photography gained popularity, painting shifted away from realism.

Impressionism

• Characteristics:
  • Focus on light and color, less emphasis on realistic depiction.
  • Example: Claude Monet's "Haystacks".

Post-Impressionism

• Characteristics:
  • Use of symbolic color and light.
  • Example: Paul Cézanne’s "Portrait of Ambrose Vollard".
  • Vincent Van Gogh’s "Starry Night" - emotional and symbolic.

Cubism

• Overview:
  • Early 20th century art movement.
  • Depiction of three-dimensional objects in two dimensions.
  • Example: Pablo Picasso’s works like "Woman with a Mustard Pot".

Conclusion

• The art movements of this period reflect changing perspectives and responses to historical, technological, and cultural developments.
• The evolution from Romanticism to Cubism illustrates shifting priorities and interpretations in art.