_Arts

Realism (1850 - 1880) Realism is defined by the accurate, unembellished, and detailed depiction of nature or contemporary life. The movement prefers an observation of physical appearance rather than imagination or idealization. In this sense, Realism can be found in movements of many other centuries. The mid 19th century Realist movement chose to paint common, ordinary, sometimes ugly images rather than the stiff, conventional pictures favored by upper-class society. It was an opposition to the traditional approach to Neoclassicism and the drama of Romanticism. Furthermore, advocates of the style were no longer preoccupied with the expectations of the Salons, Academies, or other art institutions. Realists strived to paint scenes as they actually appeared. Often the artists depicted ugly and common subjects that normally alluded to a social, political, or moral message. Never really becoming a solid, unified movement, the closest Realist group was the Barbizon School of landscape pain...

Romanticism (1800-1850) The Romantic Movement spread from art into literature and philosophy. It emphasized emotional, spontaneous and imaginative approaches. In the visual arts, Romanticism came to signify the departure from classical forms and an emphasis on emotional and spiritual themes. Caused by the sudden social changes that occurred during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era, Romanticism was formed as a revolt against Neoclassicism and its emphasis on order, harmony, balance, idealization, and rationality. Romanticism began in Germany and England in the 1770’s, and had spread throughout Europe by the 1820’s. Not long after, its influence had spread overseas to the United States. The movement focused on imagination, emotion, and freedom by way of subjectivity and individualism. Artists believed in spontaneity, freedom from boundaries and rules, and living a solitary life free from societal boundaries. Romantic artists believed that imagination was superior to reason a...