Romanticism

the sublime

Auguries of Innocenceby William Blake(1757 to 1827) To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour Which of the following concepts best describes the theme of the poem above written by the English Romantic artist, William Blake?

They both contain references to the classical world.

Death of Socrates by Jacques Louis David (1789)Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (1830) The images above are similar in all of the following ways

They both have a pro-revolutionary message.

Death of Socrates by Jacques Louis David (1789)Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (1830) The images above are similar in all of the following ways

They were both painted by French artists.

Death of Socrates by Jacques Louis David (1789)Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (1830) The images above are similar in all of the following ways

England

Joseph Mallord William Turner is from: J.M.W. Turner was born in 1775, less than a month after the start of the American Revolutionary War. He died in 1851. He witnessed a major shift in culture brought on by the Industrial Revolution. He was born in the age of the sail and died in the age of steam.

King Louis Philippe

Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (1830) All of the following are depicted in this image EXCEPT:

Phrygian cap

Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (1830) The woman in this painting is an allegorical figure that represents the concept of liberty (similar to the Statue of Liberty in New York City). Her strong profile is reminiscent of classical art. On her head she is wearing a ____________________________, another reference to antiquity. This article of clothing (also shown in the image on the right) was worn by slaves in ancient Rome to signify that they had been freed. This headwear became a symbol of liberty in France and America during the 18th century, and remains one today.

Notre dame

Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (1830): Shown in the background on the right side is _____________________, which was the defining architectural monument of Paris before the Eiffel Tower was built later that century. The significance of this French landmark is underscored by the fact that Delacroix signed and dated his painting directly underneath. You may recall that this historic structure suffered a significant figure in April 2019.

the july revolution

Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (1830): This image depicts an event from the ________________________ of 1830, an event that replaced the French monarchy (which had been restored after the revolution failed) with Louis Philippe I, who was given the dubious nickname of "citizen king". This uprising of 1830 was the historical prelude to events featured in Victor Hugo's famous novel, Les Misérables (1862), and the musical (1980) and films that followed.

intense emotion

One of the most important things to understand about Romanticism is that it is a reaction against the Enlightenment. Neoclassical artists like Jacques Louis David emphasized Enlightenment values of rationality. The hero's of his paintings were the people who were ruled by their mind, not their heart. The Romantics, on the other hand, rejected that sort of strict adherence to reason and logic. Yes, rationality was important, but they had a sense that emotions were an equally important part of the human experience - they should explored and celebrated. And not just emotions related to love, but the full spectrum of human emotion, including feelings like despair and longing. In contrast to the Neoclassical style, the Romantic style is characterized by:

contemporary events and social issues

Romantic art is most often concerned with:

emphasis on balance and symmetry

Romanticism draws inspiration from the Baroque era in which of the following ways EXCEPT:

British Empire

The Fighting Temeraire, by J. M. W. Turner (1840) The full title of the painting above is The Fighting Temeraire tugged to her last berth to be broken up, 1838. Turner was familiar with the HMS Temeraire, as were all Britons of the day. Temeraire was the hero of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where Napoleon's forces were defeated, and which secured British naval dominance for the next century. By the late 1830s, however, Temeraire was no longer relevant. After retiring from service in 1812 she was converted into a hulk, a ship that can float but not actually sail. She spent time as a prison ship, housing ship, and storage depot before she was finally decommissioned in 1838 and sent up the River Thames to a shipyard in London to be broken into scrap materials. That trip on the Thames was witnessed by Turner, who used it as inspiration for his famous painting (Links to an external site.). For many Britons, Temeraire was a powerful reminder of their nation's long history of military success and a living connection to the heroes of the Napoleonic Wars. Its disassembly signaled the end of an historical era. Turner celebrates Temeraire's heroic past, and he also depicts a technological change which had already begun to affect modern-day life in a more profound way than any battle. One of the themes of Turner's painting above is the rise and fall of the ________________________________. It celebrates its heroic past, while at the same time acknowledging its waning influence in the world.

sublime

Which of the following terms refers to the awesome and overwhelming quality that is both wonderful and terrifying at the same time. The term is often used to describe nature, but can be used to describe other things, like human emotions and behavior.

Indurstrial Revolution

The Fighting Temeraire, by J. M. W. Turner (1840) Turner's painting captures the mix of cultural attitudes related to the ___________________________, which took place between roughly 1760 and 1830 and brought great positive change to Great Britain. Steam power heralded a machine age filled with factories and mechanical processes. Innovations in textile machinery increased industrial output thousands of times, iron became cheap and strong enough to become an everyday building material, and gas lamps meant people could be active at all hours of the day and night. Populations increased, consumer goods became more affordable, and the middle class exploded. There was a palpable understanding that the world was changing forever.However, not all things improved. Even though the average income grew during this period, standards of living plummeted for most, as did conditions in urban housing and in the new factories. Child labor was not only legal, it was expected. Despite its economic successes, it was also a time of serious problems.

15

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819) After the ship ran aground, the crew realized there were not enough life boats for all 400 total of passengers. There were a number of plans discussed. Ultimately, a raft was built from the wreckage of the ship. It measured about 66 feet by 23 feet, which was much too small for 150 people. The captain along with the most high-ranking and well-connected passengers got into the lifeboats. A few people stayed behind with the Meduse, and the remaining 150 or so people got onto the raft. The plan was to tow the raft behind the lifeboats. Very shortly, the people on the lifeboats realized the raft was going to slow them down too much. Fearful that the mob of people on the raft might overwhelm them, they decided to cut the ropes. The people on the raft were left to fend for themselves. They had very few supplies and no tools for navigation - no compass, no maps, no oars. It was also quite unstable, and the edge of it dipped down into the water. As you can imagine, all hell broke loose on the raft in the days to come. There were fights, murders, suicides, and mental illness. By the fourth day, about half of the people had died, and some of the survivors resorted to cannibalism. On the eighth day, a group of the strongest survivors decided to throw the weakest overboard. After about two weeks on the raft, they were found accidentally by one of the ships in the original convoy. By the time raft was found, there were _____________ survivors left. Five of those died within days of being rescued - including the last surviving crew member from Africa.

He only depicted facts approved by the monarchy.

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819) After the shipwreck, the monarchy tried to cover up the news, but accounts of the survivors spread through the newspapers, creating a huge public scandal. A gripping account of the event was written by he ship's surgeon and another survivor (an engineer). The book was widely read and people were captivated by this story. One person in particular was Theodore Gericault, who was 25-year-old at the time. It's unclear why the Medusa story caught his attention in such a big way. For whatever reason, he began working on a large scale painting two years after the shipwreck. Gericault spent the next 8 months working obsessively on his large-scale painting, The Raft of the Medusa. Although some of the details of the image come from the artist's imagination and he does take a few liberties with the facts, Gericault went to great lengths to capture this event accurately. When working on this project, Gericault did all of the following EXCEPT:

Geicault depicts an idealized version of this event that glosses over the more gruesome aspects and glorifies humanity as rational and virtuous.

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819) In this painting, Gericault infuses his message with drama, emotion, and intensity by employing all of the following Baroque techniques EXCEPT:

false hope

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819) It's interesting to consider why the artist chose to depict this particular moment in the story. It is the day of the rescue. The survivors had been on this raft for nearly two weeks. They have endured unspeakable trauma. Then, in the distance, they see a ship and they are waving it down. Shortly after this moment, the ship would disappear into the horizon for two hours before coming back. A survivor's account described this moment by saying, "from the delirium of joy, we fell into profound despondency and grief." So, why choose to depict this particular moment? There were so many dramatic moments Gericault could have chosen, and he chose this rare moment of joy and celebration. Which of the following best describes the sublime moment depicted in the Gericault's painting?

the man of color

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819) The focal point of the painting is ______________________ at the top right of the painting. This man would have little to no power in the world of the Ancien Regime. However, in this context, he is the apex of this pyramid of interconnected bodies. If there was a hero in this painting, it would be him. He becomes a universal symbol of all those who are oppressed, rising up with strength and optimism - charging into the future. However, even this triumphant hero propped up by the strongest of his raft mates - sits atop a pile of broken bodies and horrific deeds. The rope twisting in the wind reminds of the day the raft was cut lose from the life boats. The bloody ax reminds us of the violence that occurred in the days that followed. No one is blameless in this situation.

corruption and incompetence

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819) The image above depicts one of the most infamous shipwreck stories of the 19th century. The Meduse was a 40-gun frigate of the French Navy. It was originally launched in 1810. It was used in the Napoleonic Wars and raids in the Caribbean. By 1814, the French Revolution had failed and the monarchy was restored. King Louis XVIII wanted to secure his power, so he gave out a slew of high-ranking military appointments to men who were loyal to him. Unfortunately, they did not always have the skills or experience for the jobs they were given. One example of this was the captain of the Meduse. He was given the appointment because he was a loyal to the king, but he had hardly sailed in 20 years. His lack of experience would prove to be disastrous. In June 1816, the captain commanded a convoy of ships to Senegal. The purpose of the trip was to re-establish occupation of the colony after loosing it to the British for a period of time. The colony was important to the slave trade. There were a number of dignitaries on the ship, including the French governor of Senegal as well as crew members and soldiers. The captain was eager to get to Senegal, so he took a shortcut, even though his crew warned him that it was too close to shore. The ship ran aground. The captain was brought to trial for his negligence. Although the death penalty was a possibility, he ended up getting only three years of jail time. Which of the following best describes the cause of this shipwreck?

Praise for the restored monarchy.

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819) The painting can be interpreted in all of the following ways EXCEPT:

humanity's inhumanity

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819) Which statement below best characterizes the overall theme of this painting?

a shipwreck of a French navy frigate

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819) is quite large at roughly 16 feet by 23 feet. It's currently hanging in the Louvre in Paris. You might have noticed this painting in the Beyonce and Jay-Z (Links to an external site.) video released in 2018. Generally, paintings of this magnitude were reserved for monumental subjects from history or the Bible. Part of what makes this painting a break from tradition is that it depicted a current event, specifically _____________________________________.

balance, order, symmetry

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819)Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (1830) The images above are influenced by Baraque artists like Caravaggio and Rembrandt in all of the following ways EXCEPT:

The are both from the Romantic period.

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819)Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (1830) The images above are similar in all of the following ways

They are both depicting scenes from current events.

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819)Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (1830) The images above are similar in all of the following ways

They both have a pro-revolutionary message.

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819)Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (1830) The images above are similar in all of the following ways

They were both painted by French artists.

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819)Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (1830) The images above are similar in all of the following ways

The are both from the Romantic period.

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819)The Slave Ship by J. M. W. Turner (1840) The images above are similar in all of the following ways

The both have themes of man against man.

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819)The Slave Ship by J. M. W. Turner (1840) The images above are similar in all of the following ways

They are both depicting scenes from current events.

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819)The Slave Ship by J. M. W. Turner (1840) The images above are similar in all of the following ways

They both have themes of man against nature.

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819)The Slave Ship by J. M. W. Turner (1840) The images above are similar in all of the following ways

to throw sick slaves overboard in order to collect insurance money

The Slave Ship by J. M. W. Turner (1840) Fallacies of Hope by JMW Turner Aloft all hands, strike the top-masts and belay;Yon angry setting sun and fierce-edged cloudsDeclare the Typhon's coming.Before it sweeps your decks, throw overboardThe dead and dying - ne'er heed their chainsHope, Hope, fallacious Hope! Where is thy market now? The full title of the painting above is Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dying, Typhoon Coming On. The painting is based on the poem above written by the artist. He is describing a common practice among slave ships at the time

the sublime power of nature

The Slave Ship by J. M. W. Turner (1840) The looming typhoon in the background is a reminder of _______________________, a common theme in Romantic art. On one hand, the typhoon has the power to destroy the slave ship. Yet it is indifferent to matters of justice or the struggle of the drowning slaves.

emotions and spiritual intuition

The Tables Turnedby William Wordsworth(1770 to 1850) Sweet is the lore which Nature brings; Our meddling intellect Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:— We murder to dissect. Enough of Science and of Art; Close up those barren leaves; Come forth, and bring with you a heart That watches and receives. Unlike the Neoclassical art of the 18th century, the Romantic artists of the 19th century emphasized the importance of ________________________, This shift in cultural values is reflected in the poem above by English Romantic Poet, William Wordsworth.