Discussion on the necessity of using someone foreign as a symbol or allegory, implying their inferiority.
Romanticism and the Sublime
Concept of the Sublime:
The sublime encompasses a respect for and awe of nature.
It highlights the impressive power of nature relative to the insignificance of humanity.
Themes of Manifest Destiny
Thomas Cole:
British artist who moved to the United States.
Felt overwhelmed by the American landscape and resources.
His work can be interpreted as a portrayal of cultural dominance over nature.
Interpretation of Cole’s Landscape:
The painting is depicted as split in half.
Right Side:
Illustrates cultivated land.
Fields with animals grazing and developing homesteads.
Represents human utilization of nature.
Left Side:
Depicts raw, uncontrollable nature.
Image of a thunderstorm, damaged trees, and lightning.
Symbolizes nature's overwhelming power.
Composition Direction:
The movement from right to left reinforces the theme of manifest destiny, encouraging westward expansion.
Hudson River School
Hudson River School:
Thomas Cole as the founder of this informal group of artists.
Focused on large-scale romantic landscape paintings in the Northeastern United States.
Thomas Cole includes a small self-portrait in his work for two purposes:
To signify his presence in the work and to demonstrate the scale of humanity against nature's vastness.
Romanticism in Mexico
Jose Maria Velasco:
A romantic landscape painter from Mexico.
Pride in Mexican heritage depicted in his work.
His paintings showcased the beauty and resources of the new nation of Mexico.
Cultural Significance:
Velasco includes indigenous people, indicating a connection to nature and history.
Depicts a cathedral, connecting to the Virgin of Guadalupe story.
Background features sacred mountains significant to the Mexica and Aztec cultures.
Historical Context:
Velasco’s works were part of expositions to promote Mexico’s beauty and resources on the world stage.
Influence of European Art
Artistic Influence:
European artistic traditions significantly permeated the Americas, leading to a fusion of styles rather than insular development.
The Zong Incident and Abolitionism
Historical Event:
The Zong was a slave ship that, when in dire straits due to low water, made the decision to throw sick slaves overboard to collect insurance money instead of risking their survival.
Thomas Cole, who painted during a time when slavery was still legal in the U.S., was an abolitionist, and his awareness of such moral issues permeated his works.
Legacy:
A notable abolitionist acquired Cole's painting, linking art to social issues.
Transition in Artistic Style
Transition to Expressive Landscapes:
Thomas Cole’s style was evolving from conservative, naturalistic landscapes to more expressive forms of representation, foreshadowing Impressionism.
J.M.W. Turner:
Emphasizes color and brushwork as means to communicate emotions, radically departing from traditional narrative styles.
Faced backlash from the art academy, with critics questioning his sanity.
The Houses of Parliament
Historical Context:
Original Palace of Westminster burned down in the 1830s, necessitating a new design.
Architectural Contest:
Required a design in Gothic revival or Elizabethan style to evoke nostalgia for pre-industrial England.
Response to the filth and pollution of industrialized London.
Architectural Features:
Design merges perpendicular Gothic styles with Renaissance elements.
Neo-Gothic style is utilized externally, with modern structural elements internally.
Westminster Hall
Surviving Structure:
This original building survived the fire and inspired the design of the new Houses of Parliament.
Marriage a la Mode by Hogarth
Series Overview:
Known as Marriage a la Mode, this series includes six paintings telling the story of an arranged marriage between a nobleman’s son and a merchant’s daughter.
Context of Characters:
The marriage is a strategic maneuver for status: one family seeks wealth, while the other seeks societal improvement.
Both characters are depicted as disinterested in each other.
Additional Notes on Hogarth
Hogarth’s Position:
As a middle-class artist, Hogarth primarily sold engravings derived from his paintings, targeting a middle-class audience.
Summary of Romanticism in Art
Romanticize History:
Romantic artists aimed to create works encompassing not just aesthetics but also deep, meaningful narratives, connecting beauty with historical significance.
Cultural Connections:
Art served to depict national identity and pride, bridging past and present through landscape and narrative.