Romanticism is an artistic and intellectual movement which is characterised by its emphasis on emotion and individualism as well as glorifying nature and the past, preferring the medieval over classical. Romanticism began in Europe near the end of the 18th century in approximately 1770, during a time of war with the French Revolution, which fuelled it. The romantic movement was primarily a reaction against the scientific rationalisation of nature and a revolt against the restrained emotional nature and the overwhelming changes in society introduced by industrialisation. For most of the Western world, its peak was approximately 1800 to 1850.

A main characteristic of romanticism is the deepened appreciation towards nature. There is a range of romantic landscapes which portray and praise nature for its ferociousness and lack of mercy, or it being beautiful and serene.

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What is the Sublime?

Sublime is described by Edmund Burke as an artistic effect that is “the strongest passion”, and in all cases terror and fear is the ruling principle. Furthermore, the sublime is associated with evoking the feeling of the strongest emotion that the mind is capable of experiencing, usually surrounding nature, which inspires great awe and terror knowing you are smaller and insignificant in comparison and at the mercy of nature.