Romanticism<\/a> was an artistic movement that took place during the late 18th century in Europe. The movement was rooted in Germany and connected to the German ‘Sturm und Drang’ movement, which chose intuition and emotion over rationalism. This together with the ideologies and events of the French Revolution, laid the foundations from which both Romanticism and the Counter-Enlightenment emerged.<\/p>\n Starting as a reaction against the intellectualism of the\u00a0Enlightenment<\/a>; untamed nature, strong emotion, and imagination were authentic sources of beauty in a rapidly changing world. At that time, Europe was engulfed in an industrial revolution and society began to challenge conventional\u00a0forms of Neoclassicism in\u00a0art, music, and\u00a0literature. Romanticism\u00a0provided an escape from the\u00a0rigidity of the social\u00a0structures protecting privilege, and against the materialism of an age which, already showed signs of\u00a0developing\u00a0squalid living environments and\u00a0making\u00a0workers the slaves of\u00a0machinery.<\/p>\n The movement turned away from the developing industry, rationalism and\u00a0sprawling\u00a0urban\u00a0environments, therefore, places that were not yet ‘spoiled’ by human rational were considered the most pure and a source for inspiration. The typical romantic character may be expressed in Byronic ideals of a gifted, heroic yet tormented loner, following his inspiration rather than the conventions of his society.<\/p>\n If you close our eyes and dream about Romanticism, what comes to your mind? Is it music by\u00a0Robert Schumann<\/a>,\u00a0Franz Schubert<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Ludwig von Beethoven<\/a>? The literary works from the Bronte sisters, Edgar Allen Poe or Goethe? Or perhaps a painting by\u00a0William Turner<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Caspar Friedrich<\/a>?<\/p>\n The German\/Swedish painter\u00a0Caspar David Friedrich<\/a>\u00a0(1774-1840) is considered as one of the icons of Romanticism. The ideas of\u00a0Jean-Jacques Rousseau<\/a>\u00a0about nature and simplicity, from Johan Gottfried Herder (who rejected classisism and seached for authenticity of the \u2018true people\u2019), and the fascination with medieval times, they all seemed to meet\u00a0harmoniously\u00a0in Friedrich’s paintings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"