Art History - Romanticism and Realism

For our new unit we are looking at art movements. We started by looking at the characteristics of romanticism and realism.

Romanticism 

Beginning in the 18th century, it was largely centred in Germany. From 1685 - 1815 Science, society, politics and philosophy had a dramatic changed in direction. This time is known as The Enlightenment and caused a reaction from artists during the romanticism period who focused on themselves and others as individuals, with emotions, irrationality, wonder and awe.

Nature and bettering the human condition seemed to be where they turned to for inspiration. I think this is an interesting thing to turn to for inspiration, perhaps with the change in society artists saw nature as a way to get a break from city life and everything that came with it. Even today it is still seen as this, a way to get away from everything. It also interests me to think of how, we, as humans react to nature and how we react in it.

I wanted to look at a few Artists within this time period. I started with Caspar David Friedrich, he was a landscape painter was considered an important artists of his generation. His paintings tended to have a figure in them. Perhaps because of his view of human life, nature and the importance.

Caspar David Friedrich "Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, 1818" 

This painting i think is very dramatic. The waves and the contrast of dark rocks against the light blues of the sea and sky is very striking. The man facing away, towards the sea makes me think he is just taking a moment to enjoy the view of a very peaceful place. Perhaps he is thinking about trivial things in his life. I think this is a classic example of a romanic paintings from that time period. I also think this painting by him is very peaceful.

Moonrise over the Sea, 1822. Caspar David Friedrich 

Another artists who's work i think is very beautiful. J.M.W Turner.  What i like so much about these two artists is the very different styles of painting.

Rain, Steam and Speed - The Great Western Railway (1844)

I love the sense of pure speed and of this painting. Like a huge mechanical monster ripping through the still countryside. Perhaps he is talking about the limits and dangers of technology. Maybe he is commenting on the disruption of nature. But, saying that i think it goes very well with this painting.

"Snow storm-Steamboat off harbour’s mouth"- 1842

I like it because it is showing the pure power of nature. Crashing waves at the sea with a boat in the middle of it. I like this movement and i think it is very interesting to see what goes on around these movements to inspire artists. I also wanted to look at realism in this report and what was going on to inspire artists at that time. 

Realism 

Realism is a mid 19th century movement. It was the first time that people from everyday life were painted. They were painted in a naturalistic way. Art before this movement has often been painted in a idealistic way and artists felt it was removed from reality. Peasants and working class life was not something that had been painted before and it caused shock among the upper and middle class. I was a big statement for the time, and rejected the art that came before it, again, this would have been in a time of extreme social and political change. The artists of the time must have been seeking new truths and questioning the traditional systems of values/ beliefs. 

The Gleaners (1857) Jean-François Millet

This painting for example, by Jean- Francois Millet, shows women working cleaning the fields. After a harvest gleaning bits of grain was seen as one of the lowest forms of work. Hours and hours hunched over would create a small meal. It really shows the the conditions people had to put up with to survive in the time. I think the pop of blue in the painting makes it pretty powerful. 

the third class carriage - Honore Daumier

This painting i really feel the claustrophobia of it, they are all squished in like sardines. It is a carriage for the lower class and you can tell they all look worn down and frustrated. It is very "real"

I liked looking at these two movements again, it refreshed my memory on them. I am excited to move through this unit and explore more movements, refresh my memory and learn new things.