Romantic Period Historical Events Lesson

The Romantic Period or Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe. The dates are generally considered 1820 - 1900. Partly a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, it was also a revolt against aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment and a reaction against the scientific rationalization of nature. It was embodied most strongly in the visual arts, music, and literature, but had a major impact on education and the natural sciences. Its effect on politics was considerable and complex; while for much of the peak Romantic period it was associated with liberalism (liberty and equality for all) and radicalism (radical reform), in the long term its effect on the growth of nationalism (patriotism for a nation) was probably more significant.

The movement stressed strong emotion as an authentic source of aesthetic experience, placing new emphasis on such emotions as apprehension, horror, terror, and awe. It elevated folk art and ancient customs to something noble, made spontaneity a desirable characteristic. Romanticism attempted to embrace the exotic and unfamiliar by harnessing the power of the imagination to envision and to escape.

The ideologies and events of the French Revolution laid the background from which Romanticism emerged. The confines of the Industrial Revolution also had their influence on Romanticism, which was in part an escape from modern realities. Romanticism elevated the achievements of what it perceived as heroic individualists and artists, whose pioneering examples would elevate society. It also legitimized the individual imagination as a critical authority, which permitted freedom from classical notions of form in art.

Learn more about historical events of the Romantic Period below:

[CC BY 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION