Artists rebelled against the strict rules and techniques imposed by Neoclassicism. They began a style that relied more on intense emotion and artistic individuality.
The term Romantic appears to have originated from latemedieval narratives in which the adventures of a legendary hero played out. By the mid 18 th century, Romanticism depicted images of the natural English garden with winding walks, pools, and groves. Stories of King Arthur, Merlin, the Knights of the Round Table, etc were common subjects. Romanticism has a strong interest in the sublime meaning of the most distinguished by impressive quality as to inspire awe or wonder; above the ordinary. The sublime contains elements of pain, terror, majesty, and above all awe before the unknown and the unknowable in contrast with rules of beauty from Classical idealism.
Developed a cult of nature worship. Elevated Emotion above Intellect (Neoclassicism); Content (what it meant) above Form, Design (How it looked); Colour above Line; Intuition, Passion above Analytical logic, Judgement. Neoclassicism looked to Poussin, Raphael and antique Classical Roman art. Romanticism preferred the Baroque Rubens, Rembrandt; the Middle Age; The East Orient; and Africa the exotic. Opposed David s and Ingres strict intellectual, cool, analytical rules. Politically, sided with the revolutionaries who pushed for equality and fairness. They were anti-rich, anti-monarchy, anti-totalitarianism, anti- Academy, anti-napoleon, anti-age of Reason. They were pro-people, pro-democracy. Was an individual not part of the Academy s system. There are no stylistic similarities only similarities in attitude. Lived intensely not wisely.
Began career as the appointed portrait painter to King Charles IV, of Spain.
Goya The Disasters of War, 1810-14. Show the atrocities committed by the French and Spanish armies during the invasion of Spain. After a severe illness, he was left deaf, bitter, isolated and a pessimistic man.
Goya: The Third of May, 1808, 1814 Commissioned by the government after the expulsion of the French in 1814. Powerful, emotional Social Protest painting. Shows the slaughtering of 5000 Spanish people by the French army for their rebellion against their invasion. 8 9 x 13 7
No allegory purely photojournalistic fact. The night scene is lit with a single lamp on the ground, casting dramatic light The dark church in background is symbolic of how the light of humanity had been extinguished. Bodies project toward us The line of victims stretch off into distance. Man in white arms outstretched recalls the crucifixion. Colour emphasizes the event s violence Diagonal movement leads to background. Brushwork is loose and ferocious
Later works of horrific imagery demonstrate his mental and emotional state. Goya: Saturn Devouring His Children
Founder of Romanticism
A contemporary event shipwreck that caused a scandal. Gericault: The Raft of the Medusa, 1818-19. 16 x 23.5 A government ship The Medusa, carrying French colonists to Senegal, Africa, sank off the west coast due to the incompetence of the captain a political appointee. The captain & crew were the first to abandon ship on lifeboats. They were towing a makeshift raft with 149 passengers, then they cut the tow rope leaving the immigrants adrift for 12 days without food or drinkable water. Only 15 survived.
He investigated the event like a reporter. He interviewed survivors and their tale of starvation, madness and cannibalism. He studied rotting bodies in the morgue, sketched decapitated heads of guillotine victims for accuracy. He built a model raft in his studio. Gericault: Studies for The Raft
Gericault: Study of severed heads
The painting shows hope and despair all at once. Strong diagonal movement leads to the top figure waving shirt at a ship barely visible on the horizon. The painting s fame broke the stranglehold grip of the Classical Academy. Art would now stress emotion rather than intellect. Like many Romantic artist who lived intensely, Gericault died early, at 32 - from a horse riding accident. Gericault: The Raft of the Medusa, detail
Leadership fell onto Delacroix after the early death of Gericault. He used an allegorical figure of Liberty, holding the tricoloured French flag, leading revolutionaries in Paris. He glorifies the cause but also depicts the horror and violence of the fighting. Allegory blends with reality in the foreground action. Liberty Leading the People, 1830
A trip to Africa changed his life. He became fascinated by the colourful costumes and characters. Death of Sardanapalus, 1827 Afterwards, his work was full of lush colours, swirling curves, animals such as lions, tigers, and also horses twisted in violent combat.
Massacre at Chios, 1822-24
The Lion Hunt, 1861 The Lion Hunt, 1616
Ingres: Paganini Photographic accuracy Crisp, precise line Portrayal is one of rational control Defines form through colour Fluid brushstrokes Figure curves like a violin Expresses emotion through gesture Delacroix: Paganini
An English painter who was one of the first to paint outdoors en plein-air. He painted by close observation of light and colour a strong influence on later Impressionist painters like Claude Monet. He established landscape painting as a major genre. Constable: The Hay Wain, 1821 Nature was his subject. His paintings were peaceful scenes of the countryside. Monet: Wheatstacks, 1890
His landscapes reflect an intense love of nature. He simulated shimmering light on surfaces by using tiny dabs of colour His work shows his mystical feeling of man being at one with nature the sublime. The Hay Wain, 1821 His work was considered coarse and rough by his contemporaries.
Began painting landscapes similar to Constable. His later style evolved and influenced future generations of landscape artists. His early work explored the effects of light on objects. Sun Rising through vapour Fishermen Cleaning and Selling Fish, 1807
His works shows a love for dramatic subjects like storms, and fires especially raw nature. He aimed at evoking awe in the viewer by representing the power of nature and man s struggles against her elements. Turner: Snow Storm: Steamboat off a Harbour s Mouth, 1824
His later style became more abstract as he attempted to make colours inspire feelings. Swirling compositions of colour and light were the first nonrepresentational painting, although he had a subject in mind. Turner: Rain, Steam and Speed The Great Western Railway, 1844 Colour, light and movement are the subject an idea that would influence abstract artists and Impressionists like Monet.
A German Romantic painter. Painted poetic landscapes of Nature as a Cathedral to express the spirituality of the forest truly Sublime. Friedrich: Abbey Graveyard under snow, 1809-10
The name Realism applied to the art movement during the 1840s. It coexisted with Neoclassicism and Romanticism. As artists, the Realists were against rendering any contemporary event, military or political, in which the artist had not actually taken part for this then, history had no artistic importance. What concerned Realist artists was the now, the observable not from one s imagination. Hence, the public did not favour their work. Realist artists sought justice for the working class. Their work was regularly refused by the Academy for display at art exhibitions. They, therefore, organized an exhibition of their own called Salon des Refusées (Exhibition of Refused Art) in a tent next to the Academy. Today, the work of the Realists seems conservative green foliage, blue skies, brown earth and common everyday subjects.
The painter of animals. Her work reflects her constant study of animals through drawings. Every detail in her work is treated equally without embellishment. Bonheur: The Horse Fair, 1853
Portrayed working class passengers in a dignified manner. The painting illustrates how the common people were crammed into train carriages like sardines. Daumier: Third Class Carriage, 1862
Daumier: Past, Present Future His caricatures of political leaders and the wealthy illustrated their pomposity, arrogance and corruption. He used art as a photo journalist would depict events today. This scene depicts an incident after an insurrection in which all the inhabitants of a working-class house were butchered after shots were fired at a soldier. Daumier: Rue Transnonain, April 15, 1834
Dedicated his life to painting peasants whose connection to the soil on which they toiled, he found a religious quality. His paintings elevated the portrayal of the peasant from simple and stupid, to pious and divine. The Sower, 1850 There is no glorification just absolute realism in colour, form and simplicity of their backbreaking labour.
The Angelus, 1857
The Gleaners, 1857
Old Bridge at Limay, 1870 Painted landscapes in a natural and objective style, capturing the quality of a particular place at a particular moment. The Bridge at Nantes, 1868 His colours were natural, almost monochromatic.
The Stone Breakers, 1849 A champion of working-class rights and ideas.
History painting A scene he experienced himself of a friend s funeral simple, dignified peasants.
Part of the first one-man show at the Pavilion of Realism, after his work was refused by the Academy for exhibition. Courbet is shown at work on a landscape at centre instead of from the side and not visible, as had Velasquez and Goya. The nude, representing Truth, looks approvingly. To the left, is society s best, worst, and average. To the right is poet, critic Baudelaire, among friends reading a book.
Courbet Velasquez Goya