Art of the Romantic Era

Characteristics Emphasis on the search for free expression of personal feelings A revolt against convention and authority Formal perfection was no longer the top priority Used aspects of Classical form when it served its purpose, but not at the expense of personal expression Reflected Rousseau’s Social Contract – Emphasized individualism – People should be guided by natural instincts – Humans are inherently good Subjects included nature, poetic/literary references, violence/shocking events The public became the source of patronage for artists – Selling of works of art – Fees for exhibitions – Public taste often influenced artists

Theodore Gericault French The Raft of the Medusa – Inspired by the sinking of the ship, Medusa, off the coast of West Africa – A handful of survivors remained – Gericault dramatized scenes aboard the raft Expressions of despair, hunger, thirst, struggle Achieved through color, twisting diagonal lines, and faces and gestures of subjects _z.jpg _z.jpg

Eugene Delacroix French Known as a revolutionary Described as a “barbarian” and a “savage with a paintbrush” Came from a wealthy family, was well-educated, and had many famous friends (Balzac, Victor Hugo, George Sand, Chopin) Liberty Leading the People – Recalls the Revolution of 1830 (Charles X was overthrown – Liberty portrayed as an allegorical goddess leading France over the barricades Symbolizes the energy and action necessary to gain freedom and retain it Figures around her represent the various classes of people that make up a nation – Utilizes Baroque techniques Forms melt into each other Contrasting light and dark used for dramatic effect jpg jpg

Marie-Guillemine Benoist French Studied with Jacques-Louis David – Under his influence, painted historical subjects – Also used mythological subjects – Known for feminist point of view Known for portraits, including Napoleon’s – Portrait of a Negress – Portrays a regal woman looking out from the canvas – Notable use of colors and contrast – Slavery had become abolished six years prior, and this painting became a symbol of emancipation and women’s rights – L'Innocence Entre la Vertu et le Vice (Innocence Between Virtue and Vice) – Reveals Benoist’s feminist interest Vice is represented as a man instead of a woman, as was more traditional –

Francisco Goya Spanish Painted a wide range of subjects – Meticulous portraits – Scenes of violence – Used painting to focus attention on moral issues Disasters of War – Set of prints – Showed the mutilation and desecration that took place during the French invasion of Spain in 1808 – _Lo_mismo.jpg _Lo_mismo.jpg – The Third of May – Portrays the execution of Spanish loyalists by the French – It is said that Goya witnessed the execution, then wen back at night to sketch the corpses – Lighting adds drama by drawing attention to victim in the center – Upraised arms of the victim symbolize the sacrifice of life for liberty –

J.M.W. Turner English Known for loose brushstrokes and a high degree of abstraction Used rapid brush techniques to create the spirit of the object rather than a photographic likeness Rain, Steam, and Speed: The Great Western Railway – in_Steam_and_Speed_the_Great_Western_Railway.jpg in_Steam_and_Speed_the_Great_Western_Railway.jpg