Introduction to Classical/Romantic Attitudes

In this unit, we will discuss two very different approaches to making art. In the course of the week, we will look at music and visual art. Various art forms will be introduced.

One of the goals of this course is to increase the student's ability to analyze and interpret various art forms. In Classical vs. Romantic, these two opposing approaches offer a sense of what art can be. They also demand that the student analyze and interpret art. Rather than begin with the basic elements, I feel that developing these skills right from the start will lead to more in depth discussions of art that will be useful for the entire semester - and beyond.

When we talk about Classical and Romantic it is important to recognize that there is a difference between approaches and periods.

The word approach in this context refers to artists of any period in history who strive for the same effects from a work of art. For example, artists who all strive for the ideal would be considered to create art from the classical approach.

The word period in this context refers to artists who are all working at the same period in time and would be considered all in the same art historical class. All artists working in ancient Rome are considered to be from the Classical period.

There were several "periods" in art history that were called "Classical." The earliest was Ancient Greece and Rome. The Neoclassical period of art occurred in the mid 1700's to the early 1800's. Artists of this period looked back to Ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration and ideas.

Likewise, there is a Romantic period in art history. This occurred in the early 1800's. Artists were looking to nature for inspiration. They also were attracted to themes involving the exotic (and sometimes strange) or the revolutionary. Actually, the Romantic artists were rebelling against the ideals and strict rules of classical art. The French Revolution in some ways had a huge effect on the way people thought about themselves, the world, and art. The rights of the individual for freedom from tyranny led to the idea that an artist should express his/her individual feelings rather than express the spirit of all the people.

It is important to stress that all great works of art have both classical aspects and romantic aspects. That is, they have form (Classical) and they have feeling (Romantic). You cannot make great art without some kind of form. Nor can you make great art without feeling.

At the end of this unit, the assignment will be to look at two paintings and decide which is more Romantic and which is more Classical. And why?

In order to decide this, you must look to see which painting uses more of a classical approach and which a more romantic approach. You could think of an old scale when you consider this problem. The kind of scale that has two sides - like the scales of justice. Look at each painting and list the classical aspects of the painting, then the romantic aspects. Which list is longer? Which seems more important to the overall feeling of the painting?