Title: Romanticism (late 1700s-mid 1800s) | Scholastic ART | Scholastic.com
Headings: Romanticism (late 1700s-mid 1800s)
Romanticism (late 1700s-mid 1800s)
from The New Book of Knowledge ®
Themes and Ideas
Romanticism in Art
Romanticism in Literature
Romanticism in Music

Content: These styles had been revived in the 1600's and 1700's as neoclassicism. Neoclassicists placed great importance on the power of reason as a way of discovering truth. That is why the neoclassical era is often called the Age of Reason. The romantics, in contrast, hoped to transform the world into a new Golden Age through the power of the imagination. Themes and Ideas
When the English poet and painter William Blake was asked whether he saw a round, shining ball of fire when the sun rose, he replied, "Oh no, no. I see an innumerable company of the heavenly host crying [single_quotation_mark,_left]Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty! [ single_quotation_mark,_right]" His response shows the importance the romantics placed on the imagination. For them, it was the quality that set artists apart from other people. It allowed them to express their emotions in their art. As exceptional individuals, artists were free to pursue their creativity, unrestrained by the demands of society.