Although both Neoclassicism and Romanticism have similar roots and initially developed in parallel, they were opposite in terms of philosophical nature. They were the two poles of architectural thinking – on the side of Neoclassicism was a rational, objective, almost scientific method of thought, which put reason in the first place among human abilities. Romanticism, on the other hand, was dominated by emotions, feelings, and the desire for a refined and natural life. There was a thirst for close communication with nature, which became one of the most characteristic features of this movement.
French artist Jacques-Louis David, who eventually became First Painter of Empire under Napoleon, is considered the father of the neoclassical movement (Kleiner, 2015). His paintings embody the emphasis of Neoclassicism on simple, geometric, closed compositions and educational topics of morality, stoicism, and duty. David’s painting “Oath of the Horatii” is a testament to the victory of a sense of duty over emotions (Kleiner, 2015). The walls of the room create a closed composition, and all directed lines are horizontal and vertical.
Romanticism was the first movement to make landscape painting the primary means of emotional expression. Romanticists believed that spending time with nature could lead to an understanding of the sublime – the greatness of the infinite (Kleiner, 2015). Among the famous Romanticist painters was Caspar David Friedrich, whose “personal experience of nature led to a deeper understanding of God” (Kleiner, 2015).
Therefore, human figures are often portrayed in his paintings despite playing an insignificant role. Other painters, such as John Constable, used landscape paintings as a way to express farmers’ distress during the Industrial Revolution (Kleiner, 2015). Both Constable and Friedrich used delicate brush strokes to capture the details, but Joseph Turner used obscurity and a vast amount of color – his works did not feature detail but unleashed the “emotive power of color” (Kleiner, 2015). Turner’s works were innovative and significantly influenced the future of Romanticism.
Reference
Kleiner, F. S. (2015). Gardner’s art through the ages: A concise global history (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.