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The Romantic Movement
Romanticism challenged the rationality of the Enlightenment. The goal of romantics was to evoke emotion, for this, they believed, was also key to understanding the world and ourselves. Both Romantic art and literature achieved this by focusing on such sensational elements as the supernatural, medievalism, and by placing an emphasis on the mysterious aspect of nature, a world not fully understood. In this way, the term "Gothic" can often be used interchangeably with Romantic literature and art. -
Pencerrig
By Thomas Jones; painted during the summer of 1772 in Pencerrig, Wales, where the artist's family lived. A lush and hilly landscape, with a subtle hue of sunlight to emphasize the beauty of the gentle rise and fall of the pasture. -
The Bard
By Thomas Jones; a depiction of a single surviving bard, after the invasion of Wales by Edward I. A powerful moment, in which the bard, curses the attackers just before taking his own life. The setting's beauty mixes with the feeling of dread for the bard in his final moments, evoking strong emotions of an opposite nature. Additionally, the Stonehenge-type structure in the background provides a mystical element. The painting is based on a poem by the same name, and an actual historical event. -
Period: to
The Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution allowed for wider distribution of literature with the introduction of the steam rotary press, and a machine able to produce cheaper paper. However, industrialization had a negative effect on many. Factory smog polluted the air of cities overcrowded with a massive working class. Romanticism was not only a reaction to Enlightenment thinking, but an escape for many from the harsh environment of an increasingly industrialized world. This period does not actually end at 1850 -
The Nightmare
By Henry Fuseli, a Swiss painter who spent much of his life, including his death, in England. The painting certainly does evoke emotions of fear and dread for the woman on whom the monstrous creature sits, and the romantic supernatural element is abundantly clear. The horse is a strange later addition by the painter, intensifying the already dark feelings aroused by the monster. The image is haunting, and even horrific, but nonetheless compels the imagination. -
Lake of Albano and Castel Gandolfo
By John Robert Cozens; a painting depicting an Italian landscape and castle. Another painting, in which the sunset captures the beauty of nature. Meaning can be found in many aspects of the painting, yet to the viewer without any knowledge of the lake or the castle, it is simply peaceful to look at. Cozens produced multiple paintings of this landscape. -
"Halloween"
By Robert Burns; a popular Scottish poem recited on Halloween, and full of Scottish superstitions and traditions. The author's poetry often centered around country life, and Halloween is no exception. It is inspired by another poem of the same title by John Mayne. -
"The Monk"
By Matthew Lewis; a Gothic novel employing many sensational elements of horror, and one which shocked society by its obscenity. Nevertheless, it was very popular. Lewis was a member of Parliament, making the book even more controversial, and Lewis revised the story to avoid charges of blasphemy. It follows the story of a monk, and his moral decline, who becomes infatuated with a girl who arrives at the monastery. -
"The Italian, or the Confessional of the Black Penitents"
By Ann Radcliffe; a Gothic novel, and the last one written by the author. Complex imagery, emotional characters, and well-described settings combine to form an absorbing, dark story about a young nobleman captivated by a beautiful woman against his mother's wishes. The mother enlists her confessor, a conniving monk and former leading figure of the Inquisition, to deter her son from getting involved with the woman. -
Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland
By Thomas Girtin; a watercolor painting depicting a ruined castle against stormy weather, with a man leaning beneath the archway, and two cows grazing in the center. The stormy weather combined with the ruins conveys the power of nature over man. The minute size of the man, cows, and seagulls first show the size of the ruins, and then, additionally, compound the idea of nature's power and man's tiny relation to a vast world. -
"Lyrical Ballads"
By William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge; a collection of poems considered by many to mark the beginning of the Romantic movement. The authors included poetry which used more vernacular language, as opposed to the cryptic poetry designated for those with an exceptional education; a focus on the uneducated, country people, and the poor. Although, only four of Coleridge's poems are included, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is among them, and one of Coleridge's most famous works. -
"Childe Harold's Pilgrimage"
By Lord Byron; a long, slightly autobiographical poem, which features the first example of the Byronic hero. The hero is cunning and well educated, but has certain drawbacks of character, such as being moody and cynical. The Byronic hero has been heavily influential on many protagonists in various medias, then and now. -
"Waverley"
By Sir Walter Scott; the author's debut novel, and considered the prototype of the historical novel. Although, published anonymously, his name did not stay hidden for long. The novel grew in popularity, and made him one of the most read authors of the nineteenth century. Scott was the first author to sympathetically describe the peasant, but does not step on the feet of aristocrats or royalty in the process. Scott served to deify prose fiction, influencing many authors of the nineteenth century -
View of the Entrance of Carisbrooke Castle
By John Martin; a painting which employs signature characteristics of Romantic art, including: medievalism (the castle); the sunset, which again, like many other Romantic paintings, emphasizes the majestic background; and the prominence of nature. Above all, the warm colors contrasted against the dark green of the trees, evoke a feeling of comfort. Nature is not portrayed as mysterious, but rather, inviting. This is not the most famous of Martin's paintings, but is representative of Romanticism. -
"Sleep and Poetry"
By John Keats; a short poem, in which the poet reflects his gratitude for Sleep, by asking "What is more gentle than a wind in Summer,?" and "more healthful than the leafiness of dales?" The emphasis of nature is Romantic, and likewise is the question, "[What is] more secret than a nest of nightingales?" Similar questions are asked, and the answer to all is Sleep, the "Most happy listener," and "murmurer of tender lullabies." The poem evokes a feeling of comfort, similar to other Romantic poetry -
"Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus"
By Mary Shelley; a groundbreaking novel, in that it is an early example of science fiction, horror, and one of the most famous Gothic Romantic novels of the nineteenth century. Shelley was possibly inspired by the legends surrounding Castle Frankenstein in Germany, as well as by the topic of galvanism. It is a story, which has most recently been used as the premise of "The Frankenstein Chronicles," which goes to show the lasting influence of Romanticism, and Gothic storytelling. -
"Ozymandias"
By Percy Shelley; a poem inspired by the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II, whom the Greeks called Ozymandias. It describes a statue of the pharaoh in ruins, half sunk in the desert. "Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!" says the inscription on the statue of which Ozymandias has referred to himself as "King of Kings." The irony is that the ruined statue is all that remains of Ozymandias's "Works." A historical poem, in which the most indicative theme is that even great leaders can be forgotten. -
The Ghost of a Flea
By William Blake; depicting a grotesque beast mid-stride, with glaring eyes and an elongated tongue, holding a bowl of blood. His demeanor conveys the idea that he is sneaking, while curtains give the impression that he is a phantom of sorts; ideas enhanced by the night sky, which likens the beast to one that lurks only in dreams. Supernatural elements declare the painting as representative of the darker side of Romanticism. Gold leaf is used, as well, which provides some essence of medievalism. -
"Confessions of an English Opium-Eater"
By Thomas de Quincey; an autobiographical work, and the first published work of the author who relates his addiction to laudanum. Quincey discusses the pleasures of opium, as well as, the pains. The firsthand account of drug addiction, it's side effects, and it's satisfaction makes Confessions an intriguing and unprecedented literary achievement. Its popularity is partly due to the longing for sensational literature during the Romantic movement. -
Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows
By John Constable; a painting which encompasses Romantic themes. For example, these elements can be seen in the fourteenth century, Gothic architecture of the cathedral set against a fading storm, giving way to a rainbow, as well as, the calm depiction of country life. The painting may not have meant to be symbolic, but it is certainly representative of Romantic art, and cohesive with many other landscape paintings by Romantic painters. -
"The Rural Muse"
By John Clare; a collection of poems by the author, who was a lower class poet, that against unfavorable odds, rose from obscurity. His poetry reflects his disparagement of industry, and his celebration of rural England. The monster created by Victor Frankenstein in the Netflix series, Penny Dreadful, names himself John Clare after finding a love for poetry. -
The Fighting Temeraire
By J.M.W. Turner; a painting depicting the HMS Temeraire being towed by a steam-powered tug boat, towards a port in Southeast London, where it would be dismantled and used for scrap. The dark, solid color of the tug boat contrasts with nearly everything else in the painting, especially, the Temeraire, which has an almost transparent look. This may be symbolic of the obsolescence of the old ship, and of many other outmoded devices. In this way, the the ships reflect the theme of industrialization -
"Wuthering Heights"
By Emily Brontë; a passionate love story, regarded as a masterpiece for its combination of intense emotion, unique characters, and challenge to the social norms of Victorian England. It is Emily Brontë's only novel. -
"Jane Eyre"
By Charlotte Brontë; a domestic novel, which reflects the transition away from strictly Gothic storytelling. The story focuses on the experiences of Jane Eyre after being employed by a mysterious Edward Rochester, who is regarded as Byronic. The intensity of emotion of Jane Eyre is poetic, and set Charlotte Brontë apart from other authors of the nineteenth century.
