Romanticism began in the late 18th century and ended in the mid 19th century. The Romantic movement can be described as a reaction against Neoclassicim in which the style is full of emotion and beauty with many individualistic and exotic elements. Romantic art portrays emotions painted in a bold and dramatic manner, and there is often an emphasis on the past. Romantic artists often use melancholic themes and dramatic tragedy.
Paintings by famous Romantic artists such as Gericault and Delacroix are filled with energetic brushstrokes, rich colors, and emotive subject matters. The German landscape painter Caspar David Friedrich created images of solitary loneliness whereas in Spain, Francisco Goya conveyed the horrors of war in his works. This demonstrates the variety in subject matter, but the emphasis on drama and emotion.
The Pre-Raphaelite movement succeeded Romanticism, and Impressionism is firmly rooted in the Romantic tradition. Other famous Romantic artists include George Stubbs, William Blake, John Margin, John Constable, JMW Turner, and Sir Thomas Lawrence.
John Constable
John Constable is considered to be one of the greatest British landscape artists along with Turner. In his early years John Constable showed a great talent for art but only developed his originality later in life. In 1799 John Constable became an artist full time, and after the death of his father in 1816 he married Maria Bicknell despite strong opposition from her family. By 1820 John Constable's reputation was growing and he won a gold medal in the Paris Salon of 1824 for his painting The Hay Wain. One of the major influences on John Constable's works was Gainsborough's style, but he later attempted to render landscapes more realisitically. John Constable moved away from conventional traditions of painting landscapes and painted based on his own experience and love for nature. This explains the fact that some of John Constable's finest paintings are of places he loved best such as his hometown Suffolk. John Constable had no successor to match his abilities in England but he greatly influenced other Romantic artists such as Delacroix, and ultimately contributed to the development of Impressionism.
