Preferences and Perspectives - The Romantic Era
The Romantic Era
The Romantic Era was placed around 1790-1880 in Europe. This movement was expressed/portrayed differently for each artist; they used scenes of love, horror, beauty, peace, and anger. I have selected four paintings: two with more of a horror scene and two with a landscape theme.
The painting above is The Nightmare By Henry Fuseli. This painting was shown in the Royal Academy in 1782. Fuseli used lines to give a three-dimensional look, tone to contrast light and dark, and color to create a creepy mood. The portrayed emotions would be scary because of the demon on top of the girl. Fuseli was trying to demonstrate weight being put onto the chest (physical pain) you can experience during a dream.
The painting above is called Saturn Devouring One of His Children by Francisco De Goya. This painting was completed between 1821 and 1823 in France. De Goya used tone to give a sense of depth to make the guy look huge, color to provide it with a dark look, and texture to create an optical surface for a natural appearance. A scary emotion is portrayed because a giant is eating someone. This represents a Roman God, Saturn, who is terrified of his children overthrowing him, so he eats them.
The painting above is called The Hay Wain by John Constable. This painting was completed in 1819 in London. Constable used the ephemeral texture for the trees and clouds, used color to separate the sky and the ground, and used the shape to create the house. The emotions that are from this painting are very peaceful. The meaning behind this painting is the growth between landowners and their workers.
The painting above is called Wanderer above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich. This painting was completed in 1818 in Germany. Friedrich used elements such as tone to create a sense of depth and distance to make the mountains look far away from the person; he used color to make the fog look like it is moving from the wind, and he used physical texture to make the mist look like it is smeared across this painting. The emotions from this painting are peaceful but also very lonely. The meaning behind this painting is to express the struggle of your own self.
Works Cited
Alicia du Plessis( Author and Art History Expert )Alicia du Plessis is a multidisciplinary writer. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree. “‘The Hay Wain’ by John Constable - A Detailed Hay Wain Analysis.” Art in Context, 27 Sept. 2023, artincontext.org/the-hay-wain-by-john-constable/.
Alicia du Plessis( Author and Art History Expert )Alicia du Plessis is a multidisciplinary writer. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree. “‘wanderer above the Sea of Fog’ by Caspar David Friedrich.” Art in Context, 30 Sept. 2023, artincontext.org/wanderer-above-the-sea-of-fog-by-caspar-david-friedrich/.
“The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli: 3 Ways to Interpret His Most Famous Work.” TheCollector, 19 Oct. 2023, www.thecollector.com/henry-fuseli-the-nightmare/.
“Saturn.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/topic/Saturn-painting-by-Goya. Accessed 30 Oct. 2023.
Hi Shannon, I think you did a really good job of picking out the art elements in each painting. I also like how you chose your paintings, the two styles are so so different being horror and landscapes. I specifically liked "Wanderer Above The Sea of Fog". To me fog has this eerie calmness that forces you to be aware of everything. My sense always seem to be heightened when I am standing in the fog. I see why you said it makes the painting seem lonely, fog has a way of taking up space, you can't see your surroundings and one can feel very alone. David Friedrich was a romantic painter and considered one of the most famous of his time, focusing mainly on landscapes.
ReplyDeleteI also had looked at the painting The Nightmare. After reading what it was about and portraying I actually found I could not use it. I commend you for doing so. I personally don't like this painting. On the other hand Wanderer above the Sea of Fog is one I do love. I like maritime paintings and waters in turmoil. I believe this is because I grew up on the Great Lakes. When the November storms would roll in it would look just like this. You could no longer tell it was a massive lake and not the sea. It does very much carry its own beauty.
ReplyDeleteYou’re really good at giving in-depth visual analysis, and I personally like The Wanderer above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich. The painting definitely gives off a very lonely feeling. I really like the paintings you chose, the horror genre has a much more intense feel to it
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