Romanticism Key Ideas

Innocence of Childhood: Valued children's natural goodness, spontaneity, and freedom from adult constraints, as championed by Rousseau.

Sensitive, Doomed Artist: Celebrated the artist rejected by a cruel world, prioritizing beauty and wisdom, like the poet Thomas Chatterton.

Agony of Passionate Love: Focused on dramatic, emotional expression of love over rational considerations, exemplified by Goethe's "The Sorrows of Young Werther."

Power of Irrationality: Showed fascination with the irrational and limits of reason, as captured in Goya's "The Sleep of Reason Brings out Monsters."

Nature Against Industry: Championed the natural world over industrialization, preferring nature to factories, as seen in Wordsworth's poetry.

Finding the Sublime in Nature: Sought spiritual experiences in nature, viewing it as grand and awe-inspiring, highlighted in Thomas Cole's paintings of Niagara Falls.

Nostalgia for the Medieval: Revived medieval aesthetics, symbolizing a longing for a pre-industrial past, reflected in Pugin's design for the British Parliament building.

Idle Observer: Admired non-practicality and observation, celebrating the ability to find beauty in everyday life, embodied by Baudelaire's flâneur.

Escaping Civilization: Critiqued civilization, seeking refuge in the natural world, as shown by Gauguin's voyage to Tahiti.