What is Romanticism?

“Romanticism is beauty without bounds-the beautiful infinite.” – Jean Paul

Romanticism is an artistic and intellectual movement which stemmed from the rich and wealthy within Europe, around the late 18th to early 19th century. It consisted of attitudes, Ideals and art pieces that expressed a large emphasis on the romanticized rather than realistic celebrations of nature. Creating a falsified utopia out of the unsophisticated countryside. Romanticism generated from the individualism of the wealthy people in the 18th and 19th century’s conceptions of nature.

The Romanticism movement in art is highly associated to the ‘Age of Enlightenment’. This was an intellectual movement from the 17th and 18th century that consisted of ideas concerning God, Humanity, Nature but most importantly Reason due to its primary source of authority and legitimacy. The reason for its connection came from their similarities in their philosophies.

Coming from the Era of Enlightenment, The art form grew out of the disillusionment of values regarding reason and order after the French Revolution in 1789, where the French people revolted against their oppressive wealthier population and monarch. Brining an entire change to the nation neighbouring countries such as Britain, Italy and Spain adapted to these new ideals through theory and art.

What is the difference between Bucolic and pastoral?

Bucolic often refers to the pleasant aspects of country life and its nature. Pastoral is similarly defined, positively as the working elements of country.

The Art of the sublime –

The art of the sublime, which took place at same time of the enlightenment, is understood to mean a quality of greatness and grandeur, that inspires wonder and awe. This is specifically with regards to landscape. This can seen with this image for example.

Romanticism artist –

“I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may, – light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful.”

John Constable, a Romanticist painter from the 1800s, painted his conceptions of the countryside like many others of the bucolic art pieces made by other artists at the time. Although still representing the exaggerated elements of nature, John constable drew directly from nature within most of his art pieces. This was due spending his childhood, in a small Suffolk village where he lived and witnessed the rural economy in its workings, this would later go on to inspire his artistical career and illustrate this through his romanticist paintings.