Romantic Blog

Artists that were from the Romantic era have looked into putting a lot of individualism and emotion into their artworks. Many different art styles were introduced during this era. The Romantic era started in the late 1700s, and most of the artworks that were created in this era were created in Europe. In this blog, we will be comparing Realism and Pre-Raphaelitism, which are styles that were created during the Romantic era. 

Realism: 

Realism has been created in the mid-1800s in Europe as a reaction against the highly stylized and idealized art of the Romantic era. Realist artists depicted the world as it was, while also focusing on everyday people and scenes and using a highly naturalistic approach. 

The first artwork that uses the Realism style that we will be looking at is The Gleaners. It was painted by Jean-Francois Millet in France in 1857. This painting depicts three women gleaning in a field after harvesting, with a background of a large, empty field. In The Gleaners, Millet uses muted colors, naturalistic forms, and shapes to create a sense of hard work. You can also see that the figures have been painted in a highly realistic style, which emphasizes their work-worn hands and tattered clothing. The landscape is painted with brown and green shades, which depicts a sense of earthiness. Millet used organic shapes in this painting, with the rounded forms of the figures and the irregular shapes of the field and the trees. 

Another artwork that uses the Realism style we will be looking at is known as The Stonebreakers. It was painted by Gustave Courbet in France in 1849. This painting depicts two men breaking stones on the side of a road, with a background of a barren landscape. Similar to Millet’s The Gleaners, in The Stonebreakers, we can see that Courbet has also used muted colors, highly naturalistic forms, and shapes to create a sense of hard work. The figures in the painting appear to be realistic, with their worn clothing and rough hands. The landscape is barren and bleak, with shades of gray and brown dominating the scene. Courbet used angular shapes for this painting, where the jagged rocks and broken stones create a sense of roughness and hardness. 

In terms of emotional reactions, it seems that both of these paintings show a sense of social awareness. Millet and Courbet have shown the harsh realities of everyday life that people go through, and their paintings have succeeded in showing a sense of struggle and hardship. The preferences for presenting these paintings may vary depending on the context and purpose. For instance, these paintings can be put on display in a museum, which may be able to enhance the viewer's appreciation. These paintings may also be used in educational settings or in public spaces to raise awareness of issues people face in their everyday lives. 

Pre-Raphaelitism: 

Pre-Raphaelitism is a style that was first created in England in the mid-1800s. It rejected the academic style of painting popular at the time in favor of a more naturalistic, detailed approach. Pre-Raphaelitism was influenced by medieval art and literature and is often shown in mythology, literature, and history. Pre-Raphaelite artists intended to revive the ideals and techniques of early Italian Renaissance paintings and to create a new style that showed naturalism, realism, and beauty in their works. 

The first Pre-Raphaelite artwork that we will be looking at is called Ophelia. It was painted by John Everett Millais in London from 1851 to 1852. This painting depicts the character of Ophelia from William Shakespeare's Hamlet, who is floating in a river after her death. This painting shows vivid and lush use of colors, which is used in a lot of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. The green foliage and flowers are rendered with excellent detail, and the colors of Ophelia's dress and her skin tone create a striking contrast against the natural surroundings. The forms and shapes that Millais used for this painting are highly naturalistic, with the flower shapes and flowing water creating a sense of life and movement. 

Another painting that uses the Pre-Raphaelite style we will look at is The Lady of Shalott. It was painted by John William Waterhouse in London in 1888. This painting depicts the tragic figure of The Lady of Shalott, a character from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem of the same name. The colors used in this painting create a dreamlike and fantasy-like background, which is commonly seen in a lot of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. The details in the lady's dress and the patterns on the tapestry create a sense of luxury and beauty, and the boat drifting on the river creates a mysterious and romantic scene. The forms and shapes that Waterhouse used for this painting are highly stylized, with the flowing lines of the lady's hair and the angular shapes of the tapestry creating a sense of movement and tension. 

In terms of emotional reactions, these paintings show a sense of beauty and melancholy. The Pre-Raphaelite style was known for its idealization of beauty and its interest in the romantic and the mysterious, which stands out in both of these paintings. I believe that these paintings should be presented on museum display, so it can enhance appreciation from viewers. 

While Realism and Pre-Raphaelitism both sought to challenge established conventions in art, they had different intentions. Realist artists intended to represent the world objectively, while Pre-Raphaelite artists were more focused on returning to a more naturalistic style of art free from academic conventions. Additionally, Realist artists were more focused on the experiences of the working class, while Pre-Raphaelite artists were looking more into moral and spiritual themes. Overall, the Realism and Pre-Raphaelite styles are two great styles that were created in the Romantic era. However, I really like the Pre-Raphaelite style better for depicting beauty in the paintings, and Realism has shown me the harsh life that people have suffered through, which made me feel so sorry for them. But don't get me wrong though, the paintings still look nice in their own way. Artists from the Romantic era have done a great job with their paintings, and have proven themselves really successful during their said era. 

Citations: 

“Realism – Jean-François Millet, the Gleaners, 1857.” Kiama Art Gallery, April 24, 2016. https://kiamaartgallery.wordpress.com/2015/04/22/realism-jean-francois-millet-the-gleaners-1857/. 

Harris, Dr. Beth, and Dr. Steven Zucker. “Gustave Courbet, the Stonebreakers.” Smarthistory. Accessed March 26, 2023. https://smarthistory.org/courbet-the-stonebreakers/. 

“The Story of Ophelia.” Tate. Accessed March 26, 2023. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/millais-ophelia-n01506/story-ophelia. 

“'The Lady of Shalott', John William Waterhouse, 1888.” Tate. Accessed March 26, 2023. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/waterhouse-the-lady-of-shalott-n01543.