Romantic art features and works by Caspar David Friedrich
The epoch of Romanticism in art
Romantic art is probably one of the most extensive styles in art history. He is not limited to any nation, no country. This is an interesting fact, although romanticism has a lot to do with nationalism. However, the characteristics of Romantic art in many countries are similar.
The style starts around 1800 in Europe. From there, the Romantic era also had strong representation in America.
Caspar David Friedrich (1774 – 1840) – the most famous German painter of the Romantic era
Georg Friedrich Kersting: Caspar David Friedrich in his studio, 1811
There are two main discourses of romance. On the one hand, it is about the idealized representation of the characteristics that hold together the various European nations. In a perfect form, you represent nature, the heroes of history and certain personalities and events.
On the other hand, this is a style that very strongly puts the individual human emotions at the center of the representations. But here, too, one observes a certain idealization, because it is mainly about the elevated position of strong inner values.
Portrait of Caspar David Friedrich, Gerhard von Kügelgen 1810-1820
The historical context of Romantic art
It is a movement that opposed rationalism in philosophy and in the perception of history. Furthermore, the romance was strongly influenced by the French Revolution and its philosophy.
Romantic Art: The Wanderer above the sea of fog
The romance poses emotions about the thoughts and the reality. Within Romantic painting you can not observe your own aesthetics. On the one hand, it is because the painters have not distinguished themselves from the classical schools in this respect. In addition, it is not the painterly execution but the context that most characterizes the style.
Woman in front of the setting sun
One recognizes a kind of individualism that is not the natural one. From this, above all, the pursuit of the heroic is taken out, stressed, developed. Only this one interests the painters. It may be the most heroic portrayal of a battle with many martyrs or a great victory. In both cases, the characters are supernaturally heroic and reach the highest level of morality. To get this done, you use many patterns that come from antiquity.
Woman at the window
Propaganda of ideas
Through their character, the romantic art served wonderfully as a strong propaganda that had to enforce certain ideas, often political. The ideas were at the same time ideal, romantic and very emotional.
The Arctic Ocean, 1823 – 1824
Romantic art features
Not so much the art-technical features as typical, and more the values conveyed by the images. Typical subjects in Romantic art are those that depict beautiful nature, historical events and personalities in a very heroic way.
The Watzmann, 1824 – 1825
The summer, 1807
The shapes and colors are somehow free and at the same time very clearly and clearly identifiable.
Romantic art was very well represented in many countries, but the best known of all are French and Spanish works worldwide. This style was also of great importance in Germany.
Cemetery entrance, unfinished, around 1825
