History of Landscapes

‘Landscapes’ was a form of art where ancient artists drew and painted large spots of land such as gardenscapes which derives from the Dutch word ‘landschap’ The tradition of pure landscapes declined after the fall of the roman empire as landscapes became simply a backdrop for religious scenes. This tradition continued until the 16th century when the renaissance sparked a new interest in the natural world. The Dutch word became associated with the movement as the Netherlands was one of the first places that landscapes became a popular subject to paint. This need for large scenic paintings was born from the rising Protestant middle-class with houses in need of decorating.

Outside of the Netherlands, powerful art academies of Italy and France refused the paintings as they placed historical paintings (including classical, religious and mythological themes) above other styles as portraits, still life and landscapes were seen as inferior. Even as landscapes become more and more accepted, they were still only used as a backdrop for biblical or historical scenes. In the 17th century Landscapes took on a different form known as the ‘classical landscape’. French artists Nicolas Poussin and Claude Lorrain perfected the classical landscape after devoting their careers to roman countrysides. Poussin found that the same emotions conveyed through a person in a painting could be conveyed through a landscape and elevated landscapes to a new, higher status.

The 19th century saw the industrial revolution which altered urban landscapes and the change of old hierarchies. Landscape photography also rose in popularity and influenced the way artists depicted their paintings. Revolutionary artists such as Gustave Courbet began to push the boundaries of a landscape and allowed for future artists to break from the rigid academies. This new generation were the impressionists. Courbet had a distinctive style of layering paint which influenced artists into the 20th century as well as Van Gogh. The 20th century saw photography accepted as an art form and artists embraced landscapes as a way to respond to fears such as ecological disasters and global destruction.

Romanticism

Romanticism was a movement in the 19th century (1800s) which was a direct reaction to the 17th and 18th century enlightenment. The enlightenment was all about embracing science and reason across Europe and America and moving forwards with technological advancements bought along with the industrial revolution. This ‘head first’ society is best shown through the slave trade where minimal costs were spent on labour which lead to large profit margins. On paper this was the perfect way to money making scheme however pulled innocent individuals from other countries away from their homes and families. The romantic era thought about feelings and considered the heart instead. It rejected science as a cold and heartless worldview that run purely by reason which was a dystopian nightmare. This reaction saw the slave trade not as a business reaction but instead as the horrific abuse of people.

Industrial revolution

Romanticism was the rejection of the Enlightenment which had sucked emotion from writing, politics and art. Romanticism cantered art around emotion; personifying them as untamed nature. The industrial resolution connected the Enlightenment and the Romantics, its was a result of the enlightenment and its focus on scientific progress and the root of all romantics problems. The industrial revolution succeeded based on the efficient exploitation of the earths recourses as scientific ideas and and theories were transformed into practical realities. Factories could mass produce products which required more work and provided the owners with more to sell and therefore more money for less effort. They destroyed the environment while offering a large number of jobs. The business owners with factories saw rapid growth in success and profits while putting in less and less work themselves. Despite making more money then they knew to do with, they’d have more time to reflect. Maybe it was guilt for exploiting workers or the environment or maybe it was the fact that their happiness didn’t increase at the same rate as their wallets, but these rich men found themselves idolising the simple farmer life. Since money means power, the romantic period was run by rich, privileged, educated men in large, growing cities who saw life in the countryside as the ideal. This life wouldn’t have smog filled streets or poverty ridden workhouses, instead a sulf-sustaining utopia. They believed that centuries ago humans were happier being closer to nature despite missing the obvious fact that life for the poor in the country side was hard physical labour with poor living conditions and overall shorter lifespans. This sentiment that money doesn’t equal happiness and that a poor family is closer and happier is still common place in the media today.

Despite the flawed outlook on privilege, the romantics appreciated nature which would have effected the art produced. With a growing appreciation of nature, artists such as John Constable created pieces such as the following:

John Constable: The Hay Wain

John Constable was an artist from the romantic period (1821). He documented landscapes for future generations in fear that the progress born from the industrial revolution would ruin them. Factories were filling the air with smog and taking up valuable land. Cities were growing in size and poverty and the land was changing. This piece shows a farmer using traditional equipment such as a horse and waggon walking through a small body of water just in front of a small traditional hut. The trees in the skyline help to create an image of a traditional English countryside witch looks completely different to growing cities showing the commentary on land use, the industrial revolution and changing times. The sky is a mix of blue skies and dark, heavy clouds. The dark heavy clouds are over the house while the bright clouds are over the open landscape using pathetic fallacy to show the farmers concerns or anger over change and the blissful sunshine over the romanticised open, natural field.

The Sublime

The sublime is a quality of grandeur that inspires awe or wonder where emotion is more important than reason. Its inspired by emotions and partially in relation to the natural landscape. The Romantic sublime shares experiences of awe, terror and danger over 1770-1850.The sublime utilises personification (giving an object human like features(in this case showing emotions)), glorifies nature and places an emphasis on aesthetic beauty.