An artist and intellectual movement that originated in Europe in the late 18th century that was characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on individual expression of emotion and imagination, departure from the attitudes and forms of classicism, and rebellion against established social rules and conventions is nothing less than what is defined and termed to be Romanticism. Unlike many of the “isms” during these times, Romanticism is the only movement that was not considered to be directly political. Instead, it was more generated towards the thoughts and ideas that reason alone cannot explain everything and that there must be something more that lies within the subconscious mind. During the period of Romanticism, three things that have been carried over into today’s society that has had great impact on beliefs and modern day philosophies were the ideas of individualism, emotion over reason and how it has became an ethical response towards empiricism, and how romantics revolted against societal conformity and the rising industrialism which made a person’s individuality insignificant.
To begin with, individualism is defined as the moral stance philosophical ideology and social outlook that emphasizes the moral worth of the individual. This can also be interpreted as a person who is promoting the aspirations of one’s goals and desires with independent value and self-reliance that advocates what that individual is doing for bettering themselves without any interference from society or institutions such as government interest and interference. During the Romantic period the government was constantly trying to control how people thought and acted just like the government does in today’s modern society. The Romantics th...
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...ated this was the same case during the Romantic period with art and literature and has simply carried over throughout hundreds of years into what we know as the now.
In conclusion, the Romantic era has not ended nor will it for a very long and sustained period of time. The ideas and philosophies of the Romantic era will continue to evolve and shape its own reason through the changes that cohere with wherever this culture is being directed. Individualism will continue to progress and rebel against social standards by choosing emotions over logical reasoning. We will continue to follow our heart and not our minds alone. The ideas of freedom with an individual assertion that desires what is real and the search for a more authentic way of life will forever evolve and continue to grow regardless of where human beings came from and who created this thing called life.
What is individualism? Individualism is to be self-reliant, and a better principle of being independent. The typical American, most of the time, consider themselves as a independent “individual”. Arguably, most Americans are in the middle of individualism, and collectivism.
In short, it can be seen that while there are some basic similarities between Enlightenment and Romantic thinking -- because of the fact that they do explore nature-- their convergence, ideologically, ends there. In fact, it seems that nature’s ability to be so subjective has led to the two ideologies being exact opposites in almost every regard. The Enlightenment focuses on human’s achievement in regard to nature, while Romanticism focuses on the insignificance of humans in comparison to the immensity of nature. It seems that, in the end, the movements of Enlightenment and Romanticism were just what the description entailed – moving. It can then be wholly concluded that the two movements were far more different than alike based on their ideologies and creations.
The romanticism era was a movement in history that mainly focused on visual arts, music, and literature. This era was happening between 1800 and 1860. The romanticism period is sometimes observed as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution. One of this era’s longest lasting effects was its effect on politics and nationalism. Paintings during this time had an emotional appeal. Bringing light to the feelings of horror, wonder, and apprehension/fear. The modern term “romantic” is said to be derived from the romanticism period.
Individualism is the idea of being self-reliant and favoring non-conformity. It is often seen as outlandish and bizarre and individualists tend to be ostracized by society. Individualism is not present in American society because people value the common American ideals. Qualities outside the norm are treated with distaste. A prime example of individualism vs. conformity would be the European colonization of Africa. The African people were exposed to the norms of European society and were taught that it was universal. Africans had the choice of either conforming to this “universal norm” or staying true to their ancient culture. Those who sided with conformists believed that obedience guaranteed them safety. Individualists on the other hand, who valued their venerable civilization, did not receive the same benefits that the conformists did. They were less successful because they did not fit with the changing society. The story Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe tells of this tale. The protagonist Okonkwo was an individualist who did not want change. He did not agree with the colonists’ point of view and decide...
The Romantic period at its height extended over just a bit more than a century, from the latter half of the eighteenth century through to nearly the end of the nineteenth century. During this period, a new school of poetry was forged, and with it, a new moral philosophy. But, as the nineteenth century wound down, the Romantic movement seemed to be proving itself far more dependent on the specific cultural events it spanned than many believed; that is, the movement was beginning to wind down in time with the ebbing of the industrial and urban boom in much the same way that the movement grew out of the initial period of industrial and urban growth. Thus, it would be easy to classify the Romantic movement as inherently tied to its cultural context. The difficulty, then, comes when poets and authors outside of this time period-and indeed in contexts quite different then those of the original Romantic poets-begin to label themselves as Romantics.
"Romanticism -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 3 Dec. 2010. .
Romanticism has been described as a “‘Protestantism in the arts and letters’, an ideological shift on the grand scale from conservative to liberal ideas”. (Keenan, 2005) It was a movement into the era of imagination and feelings instead of objective reasoning.
Individualism in today’s society is the “belief that each person is unique, special, and a ‘basic unit of nature’.” The individualism concept puts an “emphasis on individual initiative” where people act independently of others and use self-motivation to prosper. The individualists “value privacy” over community the individual thrives to move ahead in life (U S Values).
The Romantic period was an expressive and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century and peaked in the 1800s-1850s. This movement was defined and given depth by an expulsion of all ideals set by the society of the particular time, in the sense that the Romantics sought something deeper, something greater than the simplistic and structured world that they lived in. They drew their inspiration from that around them. Their surroundings, especially nature and the very fabric of their minds, their imagination. This expulsion of the complexity of the simple human life their world had organised and maintained resulted in a unique revolution in history. Eradication of materialism, organisation and society and
Of all the movements in European art, Romanticism has by far the most difficult origins to pinpoint due to the broadness of its beginnings, artistic expressions, and time frame. Inspired by “nature, an awareness of the past, a religious spirit, and an artistic ideal” (Barron’s 6), Romanticism is one of the most significant influences on European culture. By looking at modern paintings, we can see the influence Romanticism has had throughout the generations. With Romanticism, artists have been able to take painting to different levels. The paintings are so profound that they allow the viewer to learn, develop, and acknowledge new aspects of life. The beginning of the Romantic era marked the birth of creative activities and aesthetic behaviors. Romanticism allows an artist to be creative, original, and authentic. Romantics view the world as more prejudiced and less balanced than others, including Neo-Classicists. What sets Romanticism apart from Neo-Classicism is the standards for Romantic artists were based on their own responsiveness while Neo-Classical artists aimed on portraying the orthodox values.
Romantics began to believe that it was important to be in touch with your emotions. Romanticism was viewed as an assertion of intuitive individualism and the primacy of feeling. (Fiero) These ideas lead to more detail and expression in art. Portraits are perfect examples for the subject of the individual because in portraits you can see what the person was feeling. Artists typically painted as a reaction of what was going on around them and portraits gave them the opportunity to express what their society was like. Traditionally, records of individual likeness, portraits became vehicles for expressing a range of psychological and emotional states in the hands of Romantic painters. (Galitz)
Roughly from 1815 to 1910, this period of time is called the romantic period. At this period, all arts are transforming from classic arts by having greater emphasis on the qualities of remoteness and strangeness in essence. The influence of romanticism in music particularly, has shown that romantic composers value the freedom of expression, movement, passion, and endless pursuit of the unattainable fantasy and imagination. The composers of the romantic period are in search of new subject matters, more emotional and are more expressive of their feelings as they are not bounded by structural rules in classical music where order, equilibrium, control and perfection are deemed important (Dorak, 2000).
Baudelaire had a strong influence on Romanticism. Romanticism is a literary and art movement that occurred during the late 18th century that emphasized imagination, emotion, and love of nature. Baudelaire really liked Romanticism although he found himself “incapable of being moved by vegetation.” During the time he wrote “salon de 1846”, Baudelaire alleged that the ideal was represented by Romanticism. In “Salon de 1846” he wrote, "Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice of subject nor in exact truth, but in a way of feeling" (Galitz). Baudelaire felt that the beauty in Romanticism was that artists and writers were looking inward to represent things in their own personal way while using nature as an inspiration for that self-exploration. In his book, Baudelaire: Selected Writing on Art and Artist, Baudelaire wrote, "Romanticism lies neither in the subjects an artist chooses nor in his exact copying of truth, but in the way he feels" (Baudelaire 52). Through this states how he views Romanticism and what attracts him to the movement. Throughout his life and for many years to come, Baudelaire had a significant inf...
There are many periods in time that have been crucial in the development of human ideals and technology. One of the most important times was the Romantic Era. This period began in the late 18th century, and peaked around the 1850’s. It was embodied most strongly in the visual arts, music, and literature until Industrialization had come fully into effect. Because of all the variables and factors of the time, the world was ready for a new era, a modern era that advanced the world far beyond expectations. The Romantic Era was a time of innovation, social struggles, and major changes in industry and society, all due to Industrialization. One of the most important was all of the innovation that occurred.
... It was all about progress, political correctness and it was very controlling in the area of how people lived their lives concerning many matters. By embracing the ordinary and unknown of human existence, the romantics overthrew the limitations that were seen in the Enlightenment. Defining Romanticism is not easy as there was not a particular dominate set of beliefs nor were the styles in literature and art the same. It was a time to be yourself, to let out whatever type of personality that was within. The modern world has Romanticism to thank for much of the way we live today concerning ideas, values, love, dreams and beliefs. It’s worthwhile to mention that both era’s consisted of varieties of thought, much like it is today. We are better off today because of men like Isaac Newton during the Enlightenment and for the Romantics teaching us how to be free thinkers.