"Romanticism was more than merely an alternative to a sterile classicism; romanticism made possible, especially in art, a great expansion of the human consciousness." - Edward Abbey
There are not many beautiful things in life that are free, but art is one of them. It is also expressive, creative and able to cross language and cultural boundaries all over the world.
Regardless of the country of origin, artistic renderings like paintings, sculptures and drawings are appreciated by everyone, everywhere.
One of the things that makes art even more interesting is that we can marvel at art movements through the ages to glean inspiration, strategies and techniques for today. In this article, we will do this by looking specifically at the romantic period art, also simply called Romanticism.
Defining the Romantic Period Art
Understanding art techniques and appreciating the finished work of romanticism paintings and pieces from other movements does not mean that the art period is indeed understood. For example, to truly understand Romanticism art, there is a lot to know about the time, culture and the artists that contributed to its fame.
At its most basic level, Romanticism era artists reached the peak of their popularity during 1800 to 1850 in Europe.
In its most basic form, Romanticism is defined as an art movement that first began in the latter part of the 18th century and peaked during 1800 to 1850 in Europe. If you immediately associate romanticism art with sculptures and paintings, it is also worth noting that music and literature also greatly influenced this era.
Occurring mainly in France and England, and characteristic of blurred stylistic boundaries, Romantic period art is viewed by historians as a response to the consequences of the French Revolution.
While experts may differ on the origins of the term Romanticism art, the distinct shift from classical methods to a focus on fantasy, nature, simplicity and imagination were some of the characteristics of romantic period art.
These of course were not the only characteristics brought to life by the imaginations of romanticism artists.
Defining Features of Romanticism Art
Much like every place, person and thing is uniquely different to each other, so it is with Romantic period art where books, songs, buildings and of course Romanticism paintings have a unique set of features in common.
- Brushwork techniques in the Romanticism art age were less precise and much looser than those of other periods.
- The Romanticism era was focused on the emotions, moods and feelings of its subjects.
- Pieces from romantic period art were extremely varied and included landscapes, people, peaceful beauty, revolution and religion.
These are only a few of the characteristics you will find used by Romanticism artists. To sum it up, this era is well defined by the Friedrich quote “the artist’s feeling is his law.”
Well-Known Romanticism Paintings
You cannot study and appreciate the history of art without visualising the many artworks including the romanticism paintings that have made it famous. Here are a few to begin your study.
- The Raft of the Medusa: this oil painting was finished in 1818 or 1819 by one of the most famous French Romanticism artists, Theodore Gericault. The Raft of the Medusa is the most well-recognised piece of art from the Romantic period. Completed by the 27-year old artist, it shows a terrifying war scene where a French ship is destroyed.
- Liberty Leading the People: Liberty Leading the People is an iconic painting by artist Eugene Delacroix. It was created to commemorate the July Revolution in 1830. Liberty Leading the People is kept at the Louvre in Paris and has been observed and re-enacted countless times over the past two centuries.
- Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog: Caspar David Friedrich's famous romanticism art piece and magnum opus, Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, was created in 1818. It is considered to be a masterpiece of the Romanticism era.
If you are curious about the Romantic art era, start by searching for images of the abovementioned romanticism paintings and studying them, you are bound to gain a better understanding.
Renowned Romanticism Artists
Perhaps not as iconic as Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo or Pablo Picasso, there are a few Romanticism artists that possess extraordinary talent.
The following list contains some of the era’s most famous talent and also provides insight into their success.
- Eugene Delacroix: French painter Eugene Delacroix, who was born in 1798, was one of Europe’s most sought-after artists during the 1800s. Known by experts as the top French painter of the Romanticism movement, Delacroix drew inspiration from Venetian and Baroque Renaissance artists. Famous for his intense, dramatic, and romantic scenes or images, he had a significant influence on Impressionist movement artists.
- Caspar David Friedrich: Famous for his 19th-century landscape paintings that are easily able to provoke an emotional response to the natural world, Friedrich’s work is not only breathtaking but extraordinarily detailed. He is widely considered to be the founder and father of German Romanticism art.
- Theodore Gericault: the painter of the most famous painting from the Romanticism era, Theodore Gericault is the brilliant artist of The Raft of the Medusa. Gericault who was of French origin, created many impressive "oeuvres d'art" though he sadly died young.
- Francisco Goya: Spaniard Francisco Goya was a Romantic painter but also a printmaker considered by historians to be the most significant Spanish romanticism artist of the 19th century. Goya enjoyed much success during his lifetime (an unusual feat for painters) and is well known for paintings that portray the horrors of war.
By studying these and other famous romanticism paintings and artists, you are bound to learn more about the Romantic art period and who and what inspired its marvellous creations.
Hire a Private Art Tutor to Learn More About Romanticism Art
Regardless of whether you are studying Romantic period art or Abstract Expressionism for an art degree, matric art history exam or out of sheer curiosity, there are private art tutors suited for every need. Especially if you know where to look.
On Superprof, you could use the website's location tool to find a tutor near to you. Alternatively, if you have a webcam and an internet connection you could find lessons with an art tutor from multiple cities around the world.
Having a private art tutor can provide you with the support that is difficult to get in a busy classroom. Through one-on-one lessons, you can acquire extensive knowledge when it comes to the Romantic art period which could give you the edge when it comes to your academic art results and even overall aggregate.
Private tutoring in a relaxed environment that is without judgement and structured according to your unique goals could be the academic game-changer that you are looking for.
On Superprof, there are 16 million tutors to support over 1 000 academic disciplines, making it a powerful e-learning option all over the world.
Of course, you could try a general internet search to find a history of art tutor, but the benefit of using Superprof is that not only will you have many tutors in one place to compare, you could also check out any reviews on their profiles left by previous students.
When using a private tutor, you can be assured that lessons will be more engaging and suited to your style of learning. Not only that, but on Superprof, you could receive your first lesson for free to make sure that you are choosing the right tutor for you. This is more important than you might think because at the very heart of successful private tuition should be an excellent rapport between tutor and student.
Finally, don’t be misled into thinking that private tuition is unaffordable, on Superprof you could find an art tutor for an average fee of only R183 per lesson, in South Africa. If you’re looking for support with your Romanticism art studies, it is only a click away and the guidance you receive, from the convenience of your own home, could make all the difference to your enjoyment and appreciation of your art. It’s also likely that your history of art tutor can help you better understand other art movements through the ages, all of which are fascinating.
Find the right tutor, enjoy your studies and invest in excellent academic results.
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