Romanticism was an artistic, intellectual and philosophical movement that emerged in Europe (initially in France, Germany and England) after the French Revolution in the late 18th century. In most other places, it reached its peak in the mid-19th century.
Romanticism sought to transmit to the people ideals about love, feeling, God and spirituality, patriotism and the appreciation of the individual.
Therefore, the Romantic period became known for its rejection of rationality, objectivity and beauty, characteristics of Classicism, the movement prior to Romanticism .
The romantics defended subjectivity, where the vision of the world was focused on the idealization of everything, on the emotions and feelings of the individual, never on reality.
Therefore, Romanticism marked the change in thinking and behavior of the Western world, initiating modernity .
Characteristics of Romanticism
Considering that Romanticism sought to move away from the values of urbanization, progress and rationality, most of its characteristics are direct oppositions to these standards.
These aspects belonged to previous movements, such as classicism. Among the main features of the movement are:
Idealization
Idealization is one of the major characteristics of the Romantic period, because Romantic artists often portrayed themselves as rebellious heroes. Their goal was to change their own lives or the lives of society.
For this reason, it was common for Romantic art to portray the social injustices and political oppressions of the time, presenting the artist’s vision of what would be ideal for the issue.
This heroic man also manifested himself as an individual who sought an ideal, perfect homeland or love, outside of reality, always prioritizing his own expectations and feelings.
Individualism and subjectivity
Romantic writers, painters and sculptors valued the individual, his own opinions and his vision of the world.
Thus, originality was very important in the arts. It was what managed to present the author’s vision of what was produced.
Through subjectivity, the individual could express his opinions and idealizations in personal discourse, through feelings and emotions, escaping from reality or what was concrete.
Valuing emotions and feelings
For Romanticism, there was no such thing as logic, rationality or even concreteness. Romanticism argued that emotions and senses were also important in the formation of an individual’s reasoning.
The presence of the authors’ emotions and feelings in their works is one of the most striking characteristics of the movement. It was common, especially in literary works, to find melancholic, sad and sentimental descriptions.
Exaltation of nature
For the Romantics, nature consisted of an uncontrollable and transcendental force that, despite being related, was distinct from physical elements such as trees, leaves, etc.
Focus on imagination
Considering that Romanticism represented an escape from the values of the time, Romantic thinkers and artists often resorted to imagination in the production of their works.
In literature, for example, the aim was not to describe the world as it is, but rather as it could be.
See also the meaning of realism .
Historical context of Romanticism
Romanticism emerged during the period known as the Age of Revolutions, between 1774 and 1849. During this time, major political, social and economic transformations occurred in the West.
Among the main revolutionary movements of the time are the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution .
Another major political event of this period was the rise of the bourgeoisie to power during the French Revolution.
The bourgeoisie wanted to transmit new ideals to society, regarding feelings and the value of emotions and the individual, which were forgotten by previous movements, such as Classicism.
Driven by the same ideals of change, Romantic artists began to change not only the theory and practice of their arts, but also the very way they perceived the world.
This transformation went beyond the artistic field and impacted Western philosophy and culture. These aspects began to accept emotion and the senses as a valid way of experiencing life.
The influence of the revolutions can be seen in the characteristics of idealism and rebellion, which were prominent in the works produced during the period.
Escapism and subjectivism, for example, valued individual feelings more than collective ones. Both are strong aspects of Romanticism.
Romanticism in literature
Romanticism also became an innovative literary style because it allowed artists to utilize emotion and spontaneity . Thus, they could more freely explore artistic resources within and outside of literature.
During this period, literary novels were based on romantic sentimentalism and escapism (escape from reality), and a constant struggle with forbidden or unrequited love.
Because it has a strong nationalist and patriotic appeal, romantic literature also extols the heroic man, who fights for love and for his nation. In addition, the characters are clearly vulnerable and melancholic, always exposing their emotions in the foreground.
Some of the main European Romantic authors were:
- Frenchman Victor Hugo, author of Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame;
- The Englishman Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834), author of the work The Rime of the Ancient Mariner;
- The German August Wilhelm (1767-1845), author of the work Bouquets of Flowers;
In Brazil, some of the authors who marked the romantic period were:
- Aluísio Azevedo (1857-1913), author of the work The Tenement;
- Casimiro de Abreu (1837-1860), author of the work Primaveras;
- Gonçalves Dias (1823 – 1864), author of the work Song of Exile.
Romanticism in the arts
Romantic art was essentially based on individualism, nature and imagination . These values were manifested in all artistic branches of the time and inspired paintings, sculptures, poems, among others.
Because of the emphasis on imagination, artists placed great importance on intuition, instinct and emotion. Because they were very personal and subjective, these feelings reinforced the notion of individualism that marked the movement.
For the Romantics, individualism manifested itself most fully in contexts of solitude.
For this reason, Romantic art tends to be strongly meditative. This focus on the imaginary and subjectivism dispelled the notion that art was a mirror of the world. In Romanticism, art created a parallel world.
“The Raft of the Medusa”, by Théodore Gericault, representing the emphasis that Romantic art gave to the imaginary.
Romanticism brought a new concept of nature that was not limited to forests, trees and animals. For the Romantics, nature was something superior, transcendental and, therefore, incomprehensible to men.
Like all points, nature was also seen subjectively and its portrayal varied from artist to artist.
Among the most common ways of interpreting nature were the idea that it was a divine place, a refuge from the industrialized world or even a healing power.
This appreciation of nature meant that, through Romanticism, landscape painting, previously seen as an inferior form of art, was highly improved.
“The Lonely Tree”, by Caspar David Friedrich. The work demonstrates several characteristic traits of Romantic works, such as the cult of nature, the exaltation of solitude and the escape from the city (escapism).
Main names and works of romanticism
Check out the main romantic artists below, followed by some of their works:
European Literature
- William Blake – Seven Illuminated Books, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Jerusalem, etc.
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge – The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan, Cristabel, etc.
- William Wordsworth – Lonely as a Cloud I Wandered, The Prelude, Ode to Duty, etc.
Painting
- Francisco de Goya – May 3, 1808 in Madrid (or The Third of May Shootings), Saturn Devouring a Son, The Naked Maja, The Clothed Maja, etc.
- William Turner – The Slave Ship, Rain, Steam and Speed, The Battle of Trafalgar, etc.
- Caspar David Friedrich – Walker on the Sea of Mist, Monk by the Sea, The Sea of Ice, etc.
- Eugène Delacroix – Freedom leading the people, The massacre of Chios, The death of Sardanápalus, etc.
Sculpture
- Antoine-Louis Barye – Theseus and the Minotaur, Lion and Serpent, Eagle and Serpent, etc.
- Pierre Jean David – Reviving Greece, The Death of Achilles, Louis II, etc.
Romanticism in Portugal
The beginning of Romanticism in Portugal occurred in 1825, with the work called Camões, an epic poem by the Portuguese author Almeida Garrett (1799 – 1854). This poem appeared in a context of total national euphoria, as D. João VI, who was in Brazil, decided to return to Portugal in order to regain the Portuguese crown.
Thus, a nationalist feeling was born, one of the strong characteristics of Romanticism. From this, Romanticism in Portugal began to grow, inspired by the Romantic period that was already consolidated in other places in Europe, such as France, England and Germany.
The Portuguese Romantic period had strong characteristics that expressed the discourses of Romanticism. Among them:
- Subjectivity;
- Sentimentality;
- Medieval influence, focusing on religion, on God;
- Nostalgia;
- Imagination and idealization.
Romanticism in Portugal also has, like the period in Brazil, three generations.
First generation
The beginning of Romanticism in Portugal, in 1825, is marked by the transition from the Arcadian movement to the Romantic period. With the return of D. João VI to the country, Romanticism begins with a strong nationalist appeal, described in literary works, portraying political figures as national heroes.
It is also possible to see the heroic and patriotic man portrayed through medieval influences, as brave, honorable knights who value their country and God.
The best-known authors of this generation are Almeida Garrett (1799 – 1854), Alexandre Herculano (1810 – 1877) and Antônio Feliciano de Castilho (1800 – 1875).
Second generation
Known as the ultra-romantic phase, the second generation of romanticism in Portugal became known as the most important phase of the movement in the country. During this period, romanticism went beyond the condition of reason, generating a strong sentimentalism.
Here, the predominant feelings are pain, loneliness, despair and even death. One of the most famous writers of this generation was Camilo Castelo Branco (1825 – 1890), author of the works Amor de Perdição and Amor de Salvação.
Camilo wrote with extreme sentimentalism, through the morbid and dark condition present in the picturesque discourse of romanticism.
Third Generation
The third generation already represents the end of romanticism in Portugal, in the transition from romanticism to realist ideas.
This phase demonstrates a more social perspective in the works, with more conscious and psychologically complex characters.
The author who marks this last generation of romanticism in Portugal is Júlio Diniz (1839 – 1871), author of the work As Pupilas do Senhor Reitor.