Class News: Romanticism

September 2011 Parents and Students: This module will focus on Romanticism, the artistic movement which Blake helped bring about. This newsletter will cover the general information you will need to know for your upcoming art projects, and give your parents a reference point to appraise your works in the final draft which they will give a creativity evaluation. For the project you will pick (besides Blake) a Romantic poet, writer, or painter and create and artistic work based on his own personal style. Accompanying this will be a short paper on the artists life, why you picked him, and how you emulated his style. Along with basic information on the Romantic period, this newsletter contains information on a number of Romantic Artists; feel free to pick any of these, Above: Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, by Caspar David Friedrich, a painting that has become very much emblematic of the Romantic period. though they are by no means your only options Good Luck, Mr. Dosher's CP English

ROMANTICISM
An Overview
Beginning in the late 18th century, Romanticism is an artistic movement that capitalized on natural phenomena and lifestyles, including an emphasis on folk tales, culture, mythology and mysticism. Individual thought and creativity were valued during this period as never before. It is worth noting therefore, that the very ideas and philosophy behind this very assignment were born in the Romantic period.

Above is a painting called Fra Hardanger by Hans Gude, a Norwegian painter. Norway produced some particularly brilliant works during the Romantic period, from its art to literature and drama, such as Peer Gynt, by Henrik Ibsin. The Romantic period saw the rise of metaphysical awareness of literary characters, and thus became the term Romantic Irony to describe characters breaking the fourth wall. The statement one cannot not die in the middle of act V from Peer Gynt personifies this accordingly. Left: Winter Afternoon, also by Hans Gude

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Music

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Art
England produced such artists as John Constable (bottom), and of course, the Inimitable William Blake. The art of the Romantic period was rich and varied, featuring prominently beautiful landscapes and depictions of the natural world. England and Germany were the leaders of the Romantic movement. Germany was a major progenitor of Romanticism, from its philosophers, such as Immanuel Kant, to its artist, like Caspar David Friedrich who is noted not only for, "Wanderer Above a Sea of Fog but Moonrise Over the Sea, the portrait on below.

Folk Tales
Along with mythology and mysticism, folk tales, fables, and legends became popular in the Romantic period. You are likely already familiar with both this genre and its progenitors, including the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, and E.T.A. Hoffman.

Poetry
Just as it is impossible to discuss Romanticism without discussing the poetry, it is equally impossible to do such a topic justice in a single paragraph. Such English authors as Coleridge, Wordsworth, Shelly, and Keats, Browning, and of course, Blake, the Romantic period is unquestionably the height of English literature. Many of these poets you will read later in the course. Another important poet is George Byron, whose dark, brooding personality and extravagant lifestyle became a symbol for the Romantic movement.