Romanticism & Realism (1804 – 1887)
Romanticism
Professor A. D’Ascoli
Romantic Art Characteristics
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Criticism of the past, look to the now
Emphasis on women and children
Respect for nature and its power
Expression of emotion is the key (any emotion)
Supernatural and occult themes
Romantic Art
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The Wanderer
1817 – 1818
Hamburg, Germany
Painting
Artist: Caspar David
Friedrich
Greatest of the German
Romantic painters
Mist was a favorite subject
for Romantic Era painters
Captures feeling of solitude
or perhaps triumph
The Polar Sea (Sea of Ice)
1823-1825
Hamburg, Germany
Painting
Caspar David Friedrich
His primary interest as an artist was the
contemplation of nature, and his often symbolic and
anti- classical work seeks to convey a subjective,
emotional response to the natural world.
Abbey in the OakWood
1810
Dresden, Germany
Painting
Caspar David Friedrich
He is best known for his mid-period allegorical
landscapes which typically feature contemplative figures
silhouetted against night skies, morning mists, barren
trees or as here amongst Gothic ruins.
Monk by the Sea
1809-10
Dresden, Germany
Painting
Caspar David Friedrich
Exhibited at same time as Abbey in the OakWood
Also captures that solitude
Romantic Art
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Family of Charles IV
1800
Madrid, Spain
Artist: Francisco Goya
Court painter of Charles IV
Goya includes himself in this
painting like Velazquez did in
Las Meninas
Not a flattering version of
the royal family but Goya’s
use of color and costumes
probably caused them to not
notice
Romantic Art
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Third of May
Madrid, Spain
1814 – 1815
Painting
Artist: Francisco Goya
French soldiers execute
Madrid citizens for resisting
their occupation
Shooters are faceless,
inhuman
Victim in Christ-like pose
dies for liberty as the Church
in darkness allows this to
happen
The Giant
c. 1808
Madrid, Spain
Painting
Francisco Goya
Goya liked to explore the darker side of art
Saturn Devouring His Children
1819-1823
Madrid, Spain
Painting
Francisco Goya
Even taking the darker side of classical themes as a reaction
against Classicism
Romantic Art
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Great Courage! Against
Corpses!
Madrid, Spain
1810 – 1823
Pen and Ink
Artist: Goya
From his series the
Disasters of War
Goya attempted to show
the brutality and
inhumanity of war
Napoleon at St. Bernard’s Pass
Paris, France
1800
Painting
Jacques-Louis David
On the cusp of Neo-classical and Romantic
Napoleon shown as inspirational character
Romantic Art
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Raft of the Medusa
1818 – 1819
Paris, France
Painting
Artist: Theodore Gericault
Inspired by his outrage at the
ship’s officers and captain
saving themselves when the
ship sank and left the 150
crewmembers and passengers
on a raft
Triangular composition in
tribute to Raphael
Dramatic contrasts of light
and shadow
Insane Woman (Envy)
1822-1823
Paris, France
Painting
Theodore Gericault
Similar in many ways to my mother-in-law
Captured realism but in a dark evocative way
Romantic Art
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Scenes from the Massacre at Chios
1824
Paris, France
Painting
Artist: Eugene Delacroix
Also from a contemporary event
As Greeks declared independence
from Turkey, some 10,000 were
slaughtered on the island of Chios
(birthplace of Homer)
A rival artist nicknamed this “the
massacre of painting” because of
its loose form and lack of focus
Death of Sardanapalus
1826
Paris, France
Painting
Eugene Delacroix
Captured another real event, the slaughter in Turkey, to evoke emotional response
Romantic Art
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Liberty Leading the People
1830
Paris, France
Painting
Artist: Eugene Delacroix
Commissioned by Louis-Philippe to
portray the uprising that led to his being
placed in power, it was rejected as too
emotional and unskilled at the time it
was finished
Notre Dame can be seen in the
background
Both aristocrats and commoners were
involved
Triangular composition
Carceri 14
ca. 1750
Rome, Italy
Pen and Ink
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Most famous etcher of his time – did 1000s of sketches – precursor to MC Escher with
his intricate and often illusion-like drawings
The Nightmare
1781
London, England
Painting
Henry Fuseli
Fuseli was Swiss born with Italian roots but painted in England
Painting is considered his best and is full of Freudian ideas
Pun on nightmare with horse
Neo-Classical/Romantic
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La Grande Odalisque
1814
Paris, France
Painting
Artist: Ingres
Although he attempted a tribute
to Titian’s classical Venus of
Urbino, it seems Ingres produced
a more mannerist style painting
Ingres was stunned when his
work was deemed un-classical
Sensuality is part of this painting
despite Ingres’ own protests to
the contrary
Odalisque means harem girl
Romantic
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Odalisque
1845 – 1850
Paris, France
Painting
Artist: Delacroix
31 years later the same
themed painting looks
dramatically different
No more classical lines,
sensuality is in your face
Odalisques
The Maja Clothed
c. 1800
Madrid, Spain
Painting
Francisco Goya
Obvious influence from Titian – Goya made two of these as a sort of flip page book
The Maja Nude
c. 1800
Madrid, Spain
Painting
Francisco Goya
Same exact pose
Romantic Era
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The Haywain
1821
London, England
Painting
Artist: John Constable
Famous for his romantic era
landscape paintings
He sketched from nature but
did the final work in his
studio
Paintings that celebrate rural
life and its attachment ot the
land
Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California
1868
Painting
California
Albert Bierstadt
American landscape painters also gained worldwide recognition at this time by painting
live outdoors rather than in the studio
Romantic Era
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The Slave Ship
1840
London, England
Painting
Artist: J.M.W. Turner
Turner captures a moment that
enraged him like that of Gericault’s
Raft
Here slaves were thrown
overboard during an epidemic
because the ship’s captain was
insured for loss at sea not illness
The colors suggest the violent act
portrayed
Men can be barely seen engulfed in
the sea
Romantic Era
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American Lake Scene
1844
New York
Painting
Artist: Thomas Cole
Famed for his realistic
landscape works despite his
own dislike of them
Paintings of solitude, even
when figures are in work they
are insignificant and small
Romantic Art
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Grand Canyon of the
Yellowstone
1872
Yellowstone, Wyoming
Painting
Artist: Thomas Moran
Influenced by Turner’s use of
light after a visit to England
– see the Slave Ship
Landscape paintings became
so popular in America that
they became mass produced
changing the face of art
forever
Romantic Art
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La Marseillaise
1833 – 1836
Paris, France
Relief Sculpture
Artist: Francois Rude
Placed on the Arc de
Triomphe in Paris
The use of the arch and a
winged female to depict
victory were part of the
classical ideal
The portrayal of emotion
however, is romantic
Sculpture fell out of favor
during the Romantic Era and
not many works were
produced
Romantic Art (Neo-Gothic)
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Houses of Parliament
1836 – 1860
London, England
Architecture
Artists: Charles Barry &
Welby Northmore Pugin
More similar to a Gothic
cathedral than to a
government office
building
Big Ben is the nickname
of the clock tower
Romantic Art
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Opera Garnier
1861 – 1874
Paris, France
Architecture
Artist: Charles Garnier
A tribute to the classical
world with much more
color and vitality added
Luxuriously ornamented
in a Baroque manner
Opera Garnier
Romantic Art
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Europe: A Prophecy
1794
London, England
Illuminated Manuscript
Author: William Blake
Blake’s idea of God
(Urizen) is portrayed
here on the 2nd day of
creation dividing the
heavens and the earth
with the compasses
Romantic Art
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Lord Byron in Albanian
Costume
1814
London, England
Painting
Artist: Thomas Philips
Philips captures Byron’s
eccentricity and his good
looks in this work
Famed for his travels and his
poems, Byron often got
involved in foreign affairs,
actually dying while fighting
the Turks for Greece’s
freedom
Pre-Raphaelites
Ophelia
1852
London, England
Painting- oil on canvas
Pre-Raphaelites - rejected the art of the Renaissance in favor of art before Raphael,
Michelangelo and Leonardo (15-16 centuries). The Pre-Raphaelites focused on serious
and significant subjects and were best known for painting subjects from modern life and
literature often using historical costumes. They painted directly from nature itself, as
truthfully as possible and with incredible attention to detail.
Proserpine
ca. 1877
London, England
Painting
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
In top right is a sonnet the author wrote to the model who posed for this
He is considered the master of the Pre-Raphaelites
Beata Beatrix
ca. 1863
London, England
Painting
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
The Florentine writer Dante can be seen hovering in
the background admiring his Beatrice
Rossetti saw this work as a memorial to his wife,
Elizabeth Siddall, who had died in 1862.
Realism
Realism Art Characteristics
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Everyday people doing ordinary things is a main
theme
Concentration on the world as it really is
The artistic attempt to recreate life as it is in the
context of an artistic medium
Photography used to capture the harsh realities
of life and as an art form
The Stone Breakers
1849
Paris, France
Painting
Artist: Gustave Courbet
A master at taking common everyday scenes and
turning them to art
Realism
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A Burial at Ornans
1849
Ornans, France
Painting
Artist: Gustave Courbet
After the Revolution of 1848, Courbet returned to his village where he painted scenes from
everyday life of the working class
When he returned to Paris and displayed his work, the critics were ruthless because of both the
subject matter and their disbelief that life was so hard for the working class
The subject matter of his paintings was seen to be unworthy of so large a size (10 x 20 feet this
one)
Real life being portrayed was a reaction to Romanticism
The Gleaners
1857
Paris, France
Painting
Jean-François Millet
Ordinary themes were attempted to catch moments much like photography was
beginning to do
Realism
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Rue Transonian, April 15, 1834
1834
Paris, France
Ink and Pen Lithography
Artist: Honore Daumier
Artists began to portray the
world as it actually is – in all of
its horrors
This work shows a slaughtered
family – to show repression of
the troops of Louis-Philippe of
a real event
The Third-Class Carriage
ca. 1862
Paris, France
Painting
Honoré Daumier
Artists struggled to capture the despair of ordinary people during a time of chaos
This was unfinished
Realism
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Plowing in the Nivernais: the Dressing of the Vines
1849
The Nivernais, France
Painting
Artist: Rosa Bonheur
She was the first truly successful painters of working class subjects
She painted directly from nature and her subjects
She dressed in men’s suits because she claimed women’s clothes interfered with her
work
The Horse Fair
1853-1855
Paris, France
Painting
Rosa Bonheur
Her details almost make this appear as a photograph
She sketched 2x a week at the Paris horse fair to capture this work
Realism
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The Painter’s Studio: A Real Allegory Summing Up Seven Years of My Artistic Life
1854 – 1855
Painting
Paris, France
Artist: Courbet
Also trashed by the critics, Courbet had to exhibit it on his own
Courbet’s art focused on nudes and landscapes – which in this work make up the
center of the painting
The title evoked memories of the Revolution of 1848 - Ateliers were where it began
Pollice Verso
1872
Paris, France
Painting- oil on canvas
Jean-Leon Gerome
Painted in new style called Academicism – painting
styles produced and accepted by the European art
schools and universities
“pollice verso’ – means thumbs down, it is where the
popular idea comes from
Academicism
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Birth of Venus
1863
Paris, France
Painting
Artist: Alexandre Cabanel
Cabanel hated the
impressionists and when he
became a professor of art in
Paris, banned them from his
school
Cabanel's erotic imagery,
cloaked in historicism,
appealed to the propriety of
the higher levels of society
The Fifer
1866
Paris, France
Painting
Edouard Manet
Manet is considered by many to be a pre-Impressionist
rather than a true Impressionist painter
Realism / Pre-Impressionism
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Luncheon on the Grass
1863
Paris, France
Painting
Artist: Edouard Manet
Immediately deemed indecent as a
woman is shown nude outdoors
with 2 men (thought it was a real
event)
Manet used models and painted
this in his studio – not outdoors
He based this work on a painting
by Raphael (Judgment of Paris)
Large brushstrokes remain visible –
this was looked upon as sloppy
work by his critics, yet it was
intentional
Realism / Pre-Impressionism
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Olympia
1863
Paris, France
Artist: Manet
Painting
Same model as from
‘Luncheon’
No attempt to create illusion
of depth – flat lines on flat
surface
Viewer is entering the room
and Olympia seems
undisturbed by her nudity
The cat arches its back and
hisses at you
Realism
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Prisoners from the Front
1866
New York
Painting
Artist: Winslow Homer
Homer is known as greatest
American artist
Factual accounts of life as it
is (was)
Confederate soldiers are
shown surrendering to a
Union general, yet the
defiance of the pose shows
us a nation at odds
Realism
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The Swimming Hole
1883 – 1885
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Artist: Thomas Eakins
Fascinated by the new world
of photography, Eakins tried
to capture moments of
motion frozen in time
Eakins himself is one of the
participants
Motion of a single boy and
an onlooker
Winslow Homer
Realism
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Maria Edgeworth
1841
London, England
Photography
Artist: William Beard
An early daguerreotype from
the first portrait studio in
England
Daguerreotype is named after
the process invented by
Louis J M Daguerre, it
produced no negatives
therefore the photograph was
not reproducible
Realism
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On the Antietam Battlefield
September 17, 1862
Sharpsburg, Maryland
Photography
Artist: Matthew B Brady
Brady was the best known
Civil War photographer
Camera allows one single
vantage point, here it seems
as if the fence and the bodies
stretch on forever
Brady also took several
photos of Abraham Lincoln
Realism
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Annie G. Cantering Saddled
1887
Palo Alto, California
Photography
Artist: Eadward Muybridge
Sequence photograph showing horse in motion; a precursor to
the motion picture
Walking and Throwing a Handkerchief
1884-85
California
Photography
Eadweard Muybridge
Of course nudity appeared on film almost as soon as it was created
Realism
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Crystal Palace
1851
London, England
Architecture
Artist: Joseph Paxton
The building was the largest
enclosed space ever created
at the time it was built
Built as an exhibition hall of
new scientific advances
Paxton was a gardener by
trade and the greenhouse like
features are reminiscent of
his career
Draped Model (back view)
ca. 1854
Paris, France
Photography
Eugène Durieu & Eugène Delacroix
Still showing the influence of Titian’s Venus of
Urbino’s original pose
Xie Kitchin reclining with parasol
1876
Photography
Lewis Carroll
In Titian like pose – Carroll went on to write Alice in
Wonderland
Xie was Carroll’s favorite subject to photograph
Realism
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Statue of Liberty
1875 – 1884
Paris, France – New York
Sculpture
Artist: Frederic-Auguste
Bartholdi
Designed and built in parts in
Paris and shipped to America
where it was assembled in its
completed form
The frame was designed by
Gustav Eiffel
Symbol of freedom
Liberty holds light of
freedom high while under
her feet she is breaking the
chains of tyranny
The End . . .
Next lecture . . .
Impressionism and PostImpressionism