Romanticism（艺术课笔记一则）
Romanticism
Early - Mid 1800’s
General Information
Romanticism occurred in Western Europe and the United States during the early to mid 1800’s. Part of the time, it occurred simultaneously with Neoclassicism. The name came from a revival of interest in medieval stories known as “romances”. These had originally been written in French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, which are collectively known as the romance languages. These stories involved fictional heroes and great adventures. There was also interest in Africa and the Orient.
A nostalgic yearning for the past occurs in these paintings. References to the passage of time is depicted in paintings of architectural ruins and decaying sculptures.
For the first time in art, internal psychological states are explored and valued as coming from the individual rather than imposed by an external force. This anticipated the work of Freud at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
The Romantic Era is characterized by the rebellion of some artists against the rigidity of the Neoclassical style. This time period is seen as a time of rebellion, pitting one extreme against the other for example, Individualism vs. The System and Emotion vs. Intellectualism.
Color, emotion, content and passion were the key elements in these paintings.
The Romantic Movement also occurred in literature and music with musical works by Mendelssohn, Chopin, Liszt and Wagner. Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley and Keats wrote Romantic poems. In the United States, Poe, Cooper, and Hawthorne wrote stories in a Romantic vein. Philosophically, Thoreau and Emerson’s Transcendentalism was influenced by the Romantic Movement.
Theodore Gericault (1791-1824) French
Gericault was interested in human psychology as well as in portraying political and social injustice.
“Mad Woman with a Mania of Envy”
In person, the face has a green tint to the skin, which emphasized the red in her eyes. It is a startling painting that clearly conveys the emotion of envy or jealousy. The figure is bent forward and looking slightly to the left with one eyebrow raised above the other to indicate paranoia or distrust. This is a good example of a painting communicating internal emotions (internal and psychological states being explored), one of the characteristics of this style. The loose brushstrokes give a weathered appearance to the skin. The loose strands of hair are echoed in the bonnet strings, which are dangling – the bonnet has come undone just as her mental state has. This is also a metaphor for being disheveled in thought as well as appearance. The pursed “V” shape of her lips echoes the shape of her collar. This is a portrait of a woman who murdered a child. It was painted in a mental hospital in Paris where Freud later studied some of the patients.
“The Raft of the Medusa” (1819)
This is a good example of Gericault’s interest in subjects of social injustice. It depicts a scandal concerning the wreck of a ship called the “Medusa”. It went down and the captain and senior officers saved themselves and a few passengers by taking six lifeboats. 149 other passengers and the rest of the crew were left with only a raft, which the captain cut loose from the lifeboats. The raft floated for thirteen days during which time all but fifteen people died horrible deaths due to starvation, disease and mutiny. In addition, some cannibalism occurred. It was later found out that the Captain was given his position because of his loyalty to the monarchy rather than his competence. As a result, the government had tried to cover up what happened. The ship’s surgeon, who had survived the incident, wrote a book telling what happened. Gericault was interested in painting a picture about the individual against social oppression by using humanity against the elements as a metaphor. He used writhing forms to echo the turbulent waters and foreboding skies. A father mourns his dead son in the front. In the back, a ship in the distance is spotted and the people are waving to get its attention. Dead corpses in various states of decomposition surround the whole group. Gericault studied in morgues and hospitals to be accurate in his representations. He also interviewed many of the survivors. Compositionally, the billowing sail balances the bodies to the right. The viewer is looking down on the raft as it is caught in the swell of a wave. The shapes of the bodies form a strong diagonal, which leads the eye across the scene to the red cloth being waved.
Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863) French
Delacroix is known for his use of broad sweeping areas of color, lively patterns, thick brushstrokes and energetic figures.
“Liberty Leading the People” (1830)
This is a reference to a July 1830 uprising against Charles X, which ended with his abdication. Delacroix romanticizes revolution by making it appear as a spontaneous act that snowballs as people fall behind “Liberty” who is personified by a Greek idealized woman waving a flag. In the distance is Notre Dame, where the flag will eventually fly. The people emerge from the smoke representing their emergence from tyranny. As in the “Raft of Medusa”, corpses litter the foreground. Liberty, her raised arm and the boy next to her form a pyramidal shape in the center. The bodies and weapons form strong diagonals. The flag is clearly the most colorful part of the painting. The colors are echoed in the clothing of the man on the ground looking up at it in hope as he gives his life for the cause.
Francisco Goya (1746-1828) Spanish
Goya was a painter to the king. He became deaf later in life, which only strengthened his resolve to communicate visually. He painted portraits as well as landscapes and historical paintings. He frequently commented on medieval type practices and abuses that continued to take place in his native Spain. He showed the Spanish indignation at the French Napoleonic invasion of Spain.
"Executions on the Third of May" 1814
This painting depicts the hours immediately after a Spanish uprising against Napoleon's troops. The civilians are being rounded up and indiscriminately shot by the French troops. There are menacingly powerful dark and light contrasts here. The figure with his arms raised challenges the troops at the same time as he draws to mind the crucifixion with his pose. This same pose is repeated in the corpse in the foreground. The firing squad remains anonymous with their faces hidden and their dark bodies. This adds to the sinister effect. Obviously, the victim is the clear center of attention. He is lighter, his arms form an “X”, the guns point towards him and the kneeling, darker figures around him frame him. Again, this is typical of Goya’s interest in portraying the dark side of humanity.
LANDSCAPE PAINTING
Romanticism also focused on nature and its vastness compared to people. There was also a longing to return to nature as the Industrial age took hold. The moods of nature were also used to symbolize the varying states of mind and moods of people.
John Constable (1776-1837) English
Constable used clear imagery. He focused on the details of English country life. Constable was concerned with drama and the emotion that can be found in landscapes and weather. He is especially known for his dramatic skies. Constable was one of the first painters to paint outdoors. He did preliminary studies at the scene, which could then be carried indoors to paint. This paved the way for the Impressionist painters that followed.
Constable was also the first artist to use white in his paintings to show reflections on water. Critic's made fun of it by referring to it as, "Constable's snow."
“Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop’s Garden” 1820
The Cathedral is framed by trees; shapes that are repeated in the Church’s spire. Nostalgia is shown by the presence of the Gothic Cathedral in Constable’s contemporary setting as people walk about its paths and cows graze lazily by the stream. There is no hint of industrialization. This painting romanticizes nature and humanity’s oneness with it. It is the ultimate bucolic scene.
"The White Horse" 1819
This is a good example of Constable’s use of white on water to show reflection.
JMW Turner (1775-1851) English
Turner was interested in the effects of the paint itself. Turner, like constable was also interested in the effects of the weather on landscapes. His paintings however, are much more brooding in mood. This effect was created by the use of swirling color and movement. He also used watercolors frequently. Later in life, he focused on pure movement and masses of color without representational meaning and would add the subject matter later to make the paintings more acceptable to the public. This helped pave the way for Impressionism.
"The Burning of the Houses of Parliament" 1834
This painting is about a real London fire that destroyed much of the old Houses of Parliament. This caused the ones that we are familiar with today to be built. These were built as a part of the interest in the Gothic revival, which was typical of the Romantic time period. This shows Turner’s typical dynamic, sweeping brushstrokes, vivid colors and blurred forms. His interest is more in portraying the smoke and its effects than anything else in the composition. The shape of the smoke and flames are echoed at the bottom left in the dark form of the trees at the water’s edge. Nature once again is in control of people. Our attempts to control it are futile.
“Peace: Burial at Sea" 1841
Note the progression of his style in these two paintings. This shows the evolution of his thoughts. The last one is almost totally abstract.
Early - Mid 1800’s
General Information
Romanticism occurred in Western Europe and the United States during the early to mid 1800’s. Part of the time, it occurred simultaneously with Neoclassicism. The name came from a revival of interest in medieval stories known as “romances”. These had originally been written in French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, which are collectively known as the romance languages. These stories involved fictional heroes and great adventures. There was also interest in Africa and the Orient.
A nostalgic yearning for the past occurs in these paintings. References to the passage of time is depicted in paintings of architectural ruins and decaying sculptures.
For the first time in art, internal psychological states are explored and valued as coming from the individual rather than imposed by an external force. This anticipated the work of Freud at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
The Romantic Era is characterized by the rebellion of some artists against the rigidity of the Neoclassical style. This time period is seen as a time of rebellion, pitting one extreme against the other for example, Individualism vs. The System and Emotion vs. Intellectualism.
Color, emotion, content and passion were the key elements in these paintings.
The Romantic Movement also occurred in literature and music with musical works by Mendelssohn, Chopin, Liszt and Wagner. Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley and Keats wrote Romantic poems. In the United States, Poe, Cooper, and Hawthorne wrote stories in a Romantic vein. Philosophically, Thoreau and Emerson’s Transcendentalism was influenced by the Romantic Movement.
Theodore Gericault (1791-1824) French
Gericault was interested in human psychology as well as in portraying political and social injustice.
“Mad Woman with a Mania of Envy”
In person, the face has a green tint to the skin, which emphasized the red in her eyes. It is a startling painting that clearly conveys the emotion of envy or jealousy. The figure is bent forward and looking slightly to the left with one eyebrow raised above the other to indicate paranoia or distrust. This is a good example of a painting communicating internal emotions (internal and psychological states being explored), one of the characteristics of this style. The loose brushstrokes give a weathered appearance to the skin. The loose strands of hair are echoed in the bonnet strings, which are dangling – the bonnet has come undone just as her mental state has. This is also a metaphor for being disheveled in thought as well as appearance. The pursed “V” shape of her lips echoes the shape of her collar. This is a portrait of a woman who murdered a child. It was painted in a mental hospital in Paris where Freud later studied some of the patients.
“The Raft of the Medusa” (1819)
This is a good example of Gericault’s interest in subjects of social injustice. It depicts a scandal concerning the wreck of a ship called the “Medusa”. It went down and the captain and senior officers saved themselves and a few passengers by taking six lifeboats. 149 other passengers and the rest of the crew were left with only a raft, which the captain cut loose from the lifeboats. The raft floated for thirteen days during which time all but fifteen people died horrible deaths due to starvation, disease and mutiny. In addition, some cannibalism occurred. It was later found out that the Captain was given his position because of his loyalty to the monarchy rather than his competence. As a result, the government had tried to cover up what happened. The ship’s surgeon, who had survived the incident, wrote a book telling what happened. Gericault was interested in painting a picture about the individual against social oppression by using humanity against the elements as a metaphor. He used writhing forms to echo the turbulent waters and foreboding skies. A father mourns his dead son in the front. In the back, a ship in the distance is spotted and the people are waving to get its attention. Dead corpses in various states of decomposition surround the whole group. Gericault studied in morgues and hospitals to be accurate in his representations. He also interviewed many of the survivors. Compositionally, the billowing sail balances the bodies to the right. The viewer is looking down on the raft as it is caught in the swell of a wave. The shapes of the bodies form a strong diagonal, which leads the eye across the scene to the red cloth being waved.
Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863) French
Delacroix is known for his use of broad sweeping areas of color, lively patterns, thick brushstrokes and energetic figures.
“Liberty Leading the People” (1830)
This is a reference to a July 1830 uprising against Charles X, which ended with his abdication. Delacroix romanticizes revolution by making it appear as a spontaneous act that snowballs as people fall behind “Liberty” who is personified by a Greek idealized woman waving a flag. In the distance is Notre Dame, where the flag will eventually fly. The people emerge from the smoke representing their emergence from tyranny. As in the “Raft of Medusa”, corpses litter the foreground. Liberty, her raised arm and the boy next to her form a pyramidal shape in the center. The bodies and weapons form strong diagonals. The flag is clearly the most colorful part of the painting. The colors are echoed in the clothing of the man on the ground looking up at it in hope as he gives his life for the cause.
Francisco Goya (1746-1828) Spanish
Goya was a painter to the king. He became deaf later in life, which only strengthened his resolve to communicate visually. He painted portraits as well as landscapes and historical paintings. He frequently commented on medieval type practices and abuses that continued to take place in his native Spain. He showed the Spanish indignation at the French Napoleonic invasion of Spain.
"Executions on the Third of May" 1814
This painting depicts the hours immediately after a Spanish uprising against Napoleon's troops. The civilians are being rounded up and indiscriminately shot by the French troops. There are menacingly powerful dark and light contrasts here. The figure with his arms raised challenges the troops at the same time as he draws to mind the crucifixion with his pose. This same pose is repeated in the corpse in the foreground. The firing squad remains anonymous with their faces hidden and their dark bodies. This adds to the sinister effect. Obviously, the victim is the clear center of attention. He is lighter, his arms form an “X”, the guns point towards him and the kneeling, darker figures around him frame him. Again, this is typical of Goya’s interest in portraying the dark side of humanity.
LANDSCAPE PAINTING
Romanticism also focused on nature and its vastness compared to people. There was also a longing to return to nature as the Industrial age took hold. The moods of nature were also used to symbolize the varying states of mind and moods of people.
John Constable (1776-1837) English
Constable used clear imagery. He focused on the details of English country life. Constable was concerned with drama and the emotion that can be found in landscapes and weather. He is especially known for his dramatic skies. Constable was one of the first painters to paint outdoors. He did preliminary studies at the scene, which could then be carried indoors to paint. This paved the way for the Impressionist painters that followed.
Constable was also the first artist to use white in his paintings to show reflections on water. Critic's made fun of it by referring to it as, "Constable's snow."
“Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop’s Garden” 1820
The Cathedral is framed by trees; shapes that are repeated in the Church’s spire. Nostalgia is shown by the presence of the Gothic Cathedral in Constable’s contemporary setting as people walk about its paths and cows graze lazily by the stream. There is no hint of industrialization. This painting romanticizes nature and humanity’s oneness with it. It is the ultimate bucolic scene.
"The White Horse" 1819
This is a good example of Constable’s use of white on water to show reflection.
JMW Turner (1775-1851) English
Turner was interested in the effects of the paint itself. Turner, like constable was also interested in the effects of the weather on landscapes. His paintings however, are much more brooding in mood. This effect was created by the use of swirling color and movement. He also used watercolors frequently. Later in life, he focused on pure movement and masses of color without representational meaning and would add the subject matter later to make the paintings more acceptable to the public. This helped pave the way for Impressionism.
"The Burning of the Houses of Parliament" 1834
This painting is about a real London fire that destroyed much of the old Houses of Parliament. This caused the ones that we are familiar with today to be built. These were built as a part of the interest in the Gothic revival, which was typical of the Romantic time period. This shows Turner’s typical dynamic, sweeping brushstrokes, vivid colors and blurred forms. His interest is more in portraying the smoke and its effects than anything else in the composition. The shape of the smoke and flames are echoed at the bottom left in the dark form of the trees at the water’s edge. Nature once again is in control of people. Our attempts to control it are futile.
“Peace: Burial at Sea" 1841
Note the progression of his style in these two paintings. This shows the evolution of his thoughts. The last one is almost totally abstract.
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