Romanticism : An artistic Movement

Romanticism was an artistic movement that took place during the late 18th century in Europe. The movement was rooted in Germany and connected to the German 'Sturm und Drang' movement, which chose intuition and emotion over rationalism. This together with the ideologies and events of the French Revolution, laid the foundations from which both Romanticism and the Counter-Enlightenment emerged.

Starting as a reaction against the intellectualism of the Enlightenment; untamed nature, strong emotion, and imagination were authentic sources of beauty in a rapidly changing world. At that time, Europe was engulfed in an industrial revolution and society began to challenge conventional forms of Neoclassicism in art, music, and literature. Romanticism provided an escape from the rigidity of the social structures protecting privilege, and against the materialism of an age which, already showed signs of developing squalid living environments and making workers the slaves of machinery.

The movement turned away from the developing industry, rationalism, and sprawling urban environments, therefore, places that were not yet 'spoiled' by human rationale were considered the purest and a source for inspiration. The typical romantic character may be expressed in Byronic ideals of a gifted, heroic yet tormented loner, following his inspiration rather than the conventions of his society.

The German/Swedish painter Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) is considered one of the icons of Romanticism. The ideas of Jean-Jacques Rousseau about nature and simplicity, from Johan Gottfried Herder (who rejected classicism and searched for the authenticity of the ‘true people’), and the fascination with medieval times, all seemed to meet harmoniously in Friedrich's paintings.