ROMANTICISM
v. REALISM
Your
assignment will take you on an exploration of both the Romanticism and Realism
art movements. Your task will be to explore 2 different categories (Literature,
Painting and/or Music) and compare them to each other. Whatever category you
choose, you will need to find art pieces that capture the true essence of each
movement. Your blog posts should include a link to a picture, writing or music
so that the reader may examine your comparison on their own. In addition, you
will need to complete the writing task found below. Any questions or concerns
please email me or see me during school next week.
**
You may want to use some of the highlighted Artists from the textbook (C21-C22).
You are free to find explore other artists as well. It would be in everyone’s
best interest to not duplicate the work of the same artist. Since we only have
5 students in class, this should not be a problem at all.
****CHOOSE
2 of 3 and complete each required task****
I.
LITERATURE
– PAINTING - MUSIC
a.
Journal entry must include answers
to each question
i.
What
was the brief background of the artist? What was their inspiration for the
piece?
ii.
What
main characteristics of Romanticism/Realism are displayed in each artistic piece?
Explain.
iii.
What
is each piece about? What “story” is each trying to tell?
iv.
How
each make you feel? What emotions do they elicit? Explain.
v.
How
did each piece reflect the “mood” of Europe during the time?
·
Each
journal entry needs to be a minimum of 1 paragraph, no more than 2 paragraphs,
and have all Romanticism/Realism facts/characteristics underlined.
and have all Romanticism/Realism facts/characteristics underlined.
·
Provide
a link to each art piece for further analysis (viewing or listening)
·
When
ready, you should make 2 separate posts.
·
Commenting
on someone’s blog is not required, but encouraged.
·
You
may not repeat the information on someone’s previous post.
·
This entire assignment will be due by Feb.
11th (Prior to C22 Exam)
·
This
content will not be given any class time next week.
*** Plan your time accordingly as there will be an additional assignment posted on the website in regards to this chapter.
Literature
ReplyDeleteThe movement of Romanticism was developed as a contrast to the Enlightenment’s central ideas, which stressed the use of reason and logic in revealing certain truths about the world. Romanticism, instead, aimed to promote the use of imagination and emotion to understand and learn about aspects of life. On the other hand, Realism sought to use the mediums of expression, which include music, literature, and art, to depict life in a realistic, accurate and straightforward way. Consequently, the growth of realism accompanied the development of science.
A primary difference between these two styles of thinking was the choice of literature. The Romantics preferred to use poetry as a form of expression, as they felt that it could truly convey the feelings of one’s soul. Realism writers preferred the novel to depict life in a realistic way. One of the most well-known and prolific Romantic poets was George Gordon, more commonly identified as Lord Bryon (1788-1824). Lord Bryon had a rather tragic childhood; he was born with a club foot and his father died while he was young and he was left with an unstable, erratic mother to raise him. Many feel that his childhood provided him with creativity and ideas for his works. An important work of his is the poem, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, which exemplifies one of Byron’s most renowned literary device: a Romantic hero. In this rather lengthy poem, Byron personifies himself as the depressed hero, Childe Harold, who attempts to rid himself of his bad habits, which include debauchery, thievery and lying. As he leaves England to better himself and to search for his long lost love, he is able to experience the conflicts and unfairness of the world, but is able to recognize the beauty in it nevertheless. This particular work epitomizes several ideas of Romanticism. Byron is sure to examine the entire spectrum of the emotions of the hero, which demonstrated a Romantic’s preoccupation with the expression of feelings. This characteristic correlates with another integral aspect of Romanticism: individualism, or an interest in the unique traits of each person. Childe Harold is the voice of the poem, which allows Byron to explore all of his characteristics and depict him in a complete way, both emotionally and mentally.
This poem typically elicits feelings of sympathy and empathy in readers, as they identify with the struggles of the hero. Byron is able to convey the human condition through his main character, which allows the piece to be relatable to virtually all readers. This poem reflected the atmosphere of Europe at the time of its publication because it examined the effects of revolution on the people of a nation. The hero travels to many countries, including Portugal, Spain, France and Greece. The restlessness and disillusionment of the hero mirrors how many Europeans felt after the revolutions that were initiated after the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars.
The literature of the Realism movement frequently possessed a materialistic outlook. Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was a famous writer who produced realist novels that conveyed the lives of people in accurate ways. In his novel, Oliver Twist, Dickens describes the life of the title character, an orphan who works at a horrific workhouse. He then escapes to London where he learns to be a pickpocket. Within the novel, Dickens included shocking detailed descriptions of what conditions and life were like for the impoverished. He also reveals an in-depth look into the lives of criminals, which were common during that time period. Realist writers sought to eliminate the flowery, emotional sentiments of Romanics in favor of language that detailed real experiences. Oliver Twist examines the social problems of the day and the effect that industrialization had on cities and its inhabitants. Among these social problems were child labor, the conditions of workhouses, and criminal activity. This novel had a great impact on the readers, many of which were appalled by the way orphans were treated. Feelings of anger concerning the management of the poor and sympathy for the orphan children were common in readers when it was published. Oliver Twist embodies the Realist movement in that it conveys the life of realistic people in a blatant, honest way.
DeleteChilde Harold’s Pilgrimage by Lord Bryon
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/5131/5131-h/5131-h.htm
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
http://www.planetebook.com/ebooks/Oliver-Twist.pdf
Music
ReplyDeleteRomantic – Mazurka In B-flat Minor, Op.24, No.4 by Frédéric Chopin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNeC-6SuLS4
Realist – Cavalleria rusticana by Pietro Antonio Stefano Mascagni
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KbUzc617ps
Romantic music is often categorized by gloomy or spooky sounds, discontent with musical conventions, and a sense of nationalism. Chopin’s Mazurka In B-flat Minor perfectly encompasses these three points. Primarily, the fact that the mazurka is set in a minor key automatically gives it a very gloomy tone. However, the actual rhythm of the piece sets it apart from other minor ones of past eras. The downbeat of each measure is extremely difficult to locate, a style not practiced in the musically strict Baroque or Classical eras. In addition, Chopin’s mazurkas are widely regarded as the first to initiate a sense of nationalism in music. Chopin was born in Poland and wrote many mazurkas and polonaises dedicated to his country. In fact, during World War II, Polish residents were not allowed to listen to Chopin’s works while being occupied by Germany. This nationalism in Poland is very monumental considering how overshadowed and underdeveloped the country is compared to the rest of Europe.
Music in the age of Realism was not as affected as art and literature, marking a huge difference between Realism and Romanticism because music in the Romantic era was vastly influenced by the social movement. Realist music went about as far as opera, and is known as verismo (meaning ‘realism’, from Italian vero, meaning ‘true’), which attempted to bring Realist literature onto the opera stage. Mascagni’s work was released in 1890 and is based on the short story by Giovanni Verga. The musical composition depicts the life of a peasant family, a very common theme in the Realist movement. Being that Realism’s only goals were to reject Romanticism and show life as it truly is, Cavalleria rusticana is a splendid choice of representation for the music of the Realist movement.
Art
ReplyDeleteRomantic - Joshua Commanding The Sun To Stand Still Upon Gibeon by John Martin
http://architecturerevived.blogspot.com/2011/08/french-british-romanticism-art.html (first picture)
Realist – The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet
http://www.musee-orsay.fr/index.php?id=851&L=1&tx_commentaire_pi1%5BshowUid%5D=341
Very prominent features of the Romantic movements were the preoccupation with nature, and interest in the past especially medieval chivalry, and mystery or gloom. Martin’s work exemplifies all of these qualities. The focus of the piece is Joshua because that is where the light is shining down, however, he and the other men are so tiny compared to the mountains and other nature aspects of the piece. This was an attempt to combine the knights of medieval times with the beauty of nature and landscape. In addition, the color usage, especially in the sky, displays a sense of gloom and spookiness that was common in the Romantic era.
Realist art is very different from the Romantic work they were trying to reject. First off, Realist art such as Millet’s work does not focus on nature, but when it is featured like in The Gleaners, it is not idolized or exaggerated like in art such as Joshua Commanding The Sun To Stand Still Upon Gibeon. Realism focuses instead on portraying life as it actually is, which Millet accomplishes by detailing the field work of peasant women. He also does not exaggerate the scenery in any way, not even in a gloomy manner like John Martin did.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLiterature
ReplyDeleteRomanticism is most prominent in the first half of the nineteenth century. Empathizing emotions, imaginations, and intuitions, it serves as a response to the preoccupation with reasoning of the Enlightenment. Some authors take the movement a step further with their uses of supernatural elements and analysis of human psychology. An example of this would be Emily Bronte, the author to Wuthering Heights. Bronte was the third eldest out of the four Bronte siblings and sister to Charlotte and Anne Bronte. Emily Brontë remains a mysterious figure due to her reclusive nature. Not much information is known about her other than what was told by Charlotte Bronte. Wuthering Heights is an early example of gothic novel, a sub-genre of romantic literature. The novel follows the story of Heathcliff as he breaks through his social barrier to gain the love of Catherine Earnshaw and to get revenge on the Linton and the Earnshaw for their mistreatment of Heathcliff when he was young.
Common to Romantic literature, the novel presents a dreamlike and unhistorical setting. On the Heights, there are constant hazardous weather conditions that reflect the conflicted psychological state of the characters. The characters actions and decisions are often induced by their intense sentiments of lust, curiosity, intellectual pride, envy, and ambition. There are obvious supernatural elements and the protagonists’ obsession of death as an escape from their unsatisfactory world. These intense emotions are results of the reformation of the European society at the time. Just like how Catherine is trapped at Wuthering Heights, the working middle class is also trapped in their social ranking. They are not included in many of the new reforms for the upper middle class. The working middle class longed for the privileges of their prosperous counterpart. Eventually, Catherine marries Edgar, who is of higher social status than Catherine, and this marriage brings Catherine out of Wuthering Heights. The novel brings with it an encouragement for fighting to ascend the social ladder. Both Heathcliff and Catherine struggles to gain better economic and living conditions and to be accepted into the higher society.
Literary Realism, on the other hand, appeared in the second half of the nineteenth century. Contrary to romanticism, realism is a style focusing on the depiction of the world as it is using accurate descriptions and observations. A leader in this literary movement is the French novelist and playwright Honore de Balzac who is known for multifaceted, ambiguous characters. His most famous work is La Comédie Humaine, a collection of interconnected short fictions inspired by his observations of the French society during the Restoration and the July Monarchy. Through this anthology, he hoped to give an accurate portrait of "all aspects of society." Like any other realist authors, Balzac preoccupied himself with depicting the social dilemmas. For example, there are recurring themes of corruption, increasing materialism, and women’s role in society. Also, prominent to realist works, Balzac uses characters of different social standing and role to show the break between the social classes.
Of all the stories in the collection, one of the most famous fictions is “Le Père Goriot.” In this story, Lucien de Rubempré and Eugène de Rastignac, two intelligent but poor men attempt to break into the upper class through the inheritance of wealthy women. Both come into contact with Vautrin, but only Rastignac succeeds while Lucien de Rubempré is arrested in Paris and commits suicide in jail. This outcome is related to the fact that Rastignac comes from a noble family, while Rubempre’s noble mother married a commoner. Common to realism literature, scrupulous, abundant details are given to describe the Maison Vauquer, its inhabitants, and the world around them. Also, Balzac demonstrates the social stratification of the time in this story. Rastignac's desire to rise in the social ladder is not only due to his personal desires, but also due to his ambition to participate in politics. This detail is extracted from the historical background where only the wealthy men are allowed to vote in France at the time. Furthermore, the setting in the short story holds true to the post-Napoleonic Paris. Paris is divided into three neighborhoods: the aristocratic area, the new-rich area, and the run-down area. Using the tragic endings of various characters, readers will feel sympathetic to them because of their unfortunate background and their fruitless effort.
DeleteWuthering Heights by Emily Bronte: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/768/768-h/768-h.htm
La Comédie Humaine by Honore de Balzac: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1968/1968-h/1968-h.htm
Literature
ReplyDeleteHans Christian Andersen was a Danish writer who was mostly known for his fairy tales. Being a Romantic writer most of Andersen’s stories were about love or were used to convey some important message about life some consisted of characters that underwent grand changes and improved because of it. Andersen’s work brought people hope for they too hoped for change in their lives. This was a time of great unrest throughout Europe, people were calling for change and they received very little. For instance “The Little Mermaid”, a great story about a mermaid who magically grows legs and while living on land finds her true love. Although the story may appear to be for children the messages it conveys are timeless. The story makes one feel as though the impossible is possible, and that love truly knows no bounds.
In stark contrast to Andersen there was Gustave Flaubert a French novelist who wrote realistically and directly challenged the ideas of Romanticism. This can be seen in Flaubert’s debut novel Madame Bovary. In Madame Bovary a woman has read so many romantic novels that she has become bored with ordinary life. She then begins to bring some excitement into her life by having several affairs, still failing to find happiness she eventually kills herself. Flaubert encapsulates the time through his obsession with perfection in terms of his novel, Flaubert was obsessed with finding the perfect word and would settle for nothing less, much like the people of the time demanded change and would stop at nothing to get it.
Art
ReplyDeleteEugene Delacroix was viewed as the foremost painter of the Romantic Movement because of his daring style and his bright, vivid use of colors. This can all be seen in Liberty Leading the People in which a woman is shown holding the flag of the French Revolution. This woman is meant to commemorate the revolution of 1830 and the woman is meant to portray the goddess of liberty. This is clearly meant to inspire the liberals of Europe to rise against their conservative leaders. This piece celebrates the efforts of the French revolutionaries and their victory.
Gustave Courbet was very different in that he painted only the things that were real; he had no interest in painting fictional events or religious figures. Courbet was focused on what was going on around him in the world. This can be seen in all of his paintings, but especially The Stonebreakers in which two men are depicted building a road. Clearly this is in no way as interesting as the works of Delacroix, this was boring, it was a painting of a men doing slow boring work, and that’s exactly what Courbet wanted to portray. This was life for the people of the time, life was rough, it wasn’t beautiful or extravagant it was dull and it was hard.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gustave_Courbet_-_The_Stonebreakers_-_WGA05457.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eug%C3%A8ne_Delacroix_-_Liberty_Leading_the_People_%2828th_July_1830%29_-_WGA6177.jpg
Art
ReplyDeleteAccompanying the development of Romantic literature and music was Romantic art. This style typically conveyed the internal emotions of the artist, as well as his/her imagination and view of the world. Caspar David Friedrich was a German Romantic painter born in 1774 that possessed a love for nature and God. As a result, many of his paintings reflected these loves. His oil painting, Monk by the Sea, is an example of his tendency to paint natural scenes in an obscure, mysterious way. The vast sky depicted conveys feelings of coldness and infinity. The light colors of the sky contrast with the dark, stormy nature of the ocean depicted below it. The tempestuous ocean reflects Friedrich’s thoughts concerning the threatening nature of the world and the power of nature. In turn, the miniscule and blurry monk conveys the powerlessness of a human being against the forces of nature. The figure of the monk stands on the barren beach, and his portrayal adds a spiritual sense to the painting. 19th century Europe witnessed industrialization and the improvement and acceptance of science. Paintings like Monk by the Sea sought to portray the futility in trying to conquer nature, as many were trying to do during this time.
Contrasting with the characteristics of Romantic art was the advent of Realism. Although there were influences of Romanticism in Realist art, this style primarily tried to depict life of common people. Often regarded as the most integral Realist painter was Gustave Courbet (1819-1877). His oil painting titled “Young Ladies of the Village,” illustrates three ordinary middle-class women who interact with a peasant girl in a pastoral setting. This illustration depicts a sense of calmness and placidness as well as the mundaneness of village life for women. Their walking through the valley conveys a daily activity for women. In many of Courbet’s works, he shows the common activities and events of a normal person’s day. This portrayal of everyday life was a fundamental characteristic of the Realism art movement. Many critics of the work took issue with the depiction of the mixing of social classes: the upper middle-class ladies with the young peasant girl. This accurate portrayal of life in the village is what makes this painting a realist one.
Monk by the Sea, Caspar David Friedrich
http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/f/friedric/1/105fried.html
Young Ladies of the Village, Gustave Courbet
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/40.175
Music: Beethoven’s Symphony Number 5 - Romantic
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z4KK7RWjmk
Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor - Realist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPlhKP0nZII
In this piece, Beethoven includes a variety of moods, ranging from agitated and fearful, to calm and happy. This can be classified as a romantic piece, as it allows those listening to escape from the problems faced in Europe. Romantic music allowed those suffering to “escape” from their problems. The listener might feel a large range of emotions throughout the piece. On the contrary, Mozart’s Requiem in D minor symbolizes the sadness felt throughout Europe. Also, this piece is religious. This piece is darker in nature, and does not necessarily allow those listening to “escape” from their problems. This requiem was used for religious purposes within the church, and was for worship, not enjoyment. Realism is displayed in Mozart’s requiem, as it is not portraying an “idealized” mood, but a dark mood, which is very true to the mood felt in Europe.
Art: Joseph Mallord William Turner - the Slave Ship - Romantic
ReplyDeletehttp://farm5.staticflickr.com/4133/5059805010_0b7cc8c33d_z.jpg
Leonardo Da Vinci – The Last Supper - Realist
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Onz2hex5go/Ta92n9ERi7I/AAAAAAAADNk/KEc8i5wr8dU/s1600/The+Last+Supper+-+Da+Vinci+1495-98.jpg
In “The Slave Ship,” Joseph William Turner uses watercolor to express the devastating image of a slave ship being destroyed in the ocean. This image is an example of romanticism, as the painting portrays a scenic landscape, and provokes emotion in the viewer. This image also allows the viewer to escape his or her own problems. Furthermore, Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” portrays realism. This painting focuses on figures, and religious events. This painting was not created to ease tensions in Europe, such as a romantic painting would. This painting depicts religious events and was painted for religious reasons. This painting differs from romantic paintings, as it gives off a serious tone.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteArt
ReplyDeleteRomantic artists painted to mirror the artists’ vision of the world and often reflected the artists’ inner emotions. Also, Romantic artists rejected Classicism’s restraint for warmth, emotion, and movement. By examining Eugene Delacroix, others can see the influence of Romanticism in art. Delacroix was the most famous French Romantic artist and was fascinated by the exotics and has a passion for color. Characteristics specific to Delacroix can be seen in “The Death of Sardanapalus,” which illustrates the world of the last Assyrian king, Sardanapalus. Sardanapalus ordered his harem and prized horses to be executed so they do not fall into the hands of the enemy. Like Europe at the time, this painting is filled with disturbance and despair. The multiple revolutions had driven Europe into a state of frenzy and the following failures did not help the case. This is similar to the strong sentiments from the painting.
Realism art dominated European countries during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The most important elements of Realism is the depiction of the life of ordinary people, such as workers or peasants. French dominated the Realism art movement. One of the prominent artists is Honoré Daumier, a French caricaturist, painter, and sculptor whose works often made commentary on social occurrence. In the 1840s, Daumier started to paint life on railway and this continued to the 1860s. His famous oil on canvas painting “The Third-Class Carriage” illustrates the working-class Parisians in the 1860s. In the painting, two ladies and two young boys are being crowded into one row. Behind them, there are more anonymous people compacted together. There are great wrinkle details on the women’s face. In the background, there are people of various age and they are all dressed for manual work.
Daumier depicted how the life of the working class was affected by industrialization. Their clothing exemplified their poverty situation despite the wealth created during the industrialization period. As shown in the painting, third-class railway carriages were cramped, dirty, open compartments with hard benches, filled with those who could not afford second or first-class tickets. Realist artists focus their artwork on the daily activities of ordinary people. Daumier accomplishes this by showing the bad conditions the working class lived in. The usage of elderly people and young children in the painting evokes sympathy from people, especially those of similar age to the children. Their lives starkly contrast with the life of people from higher classes.
The Death of Sardanapalus
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Ferdinand-Victor-Eug%C3%A8ne_Delacroix%2C_French_-_The_Death_of_Sardanapalus_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
The Third-Class Carriage: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Honor%C3%A9_Daumier_034.jpg