Ch 8: Romanticism

As a movement, Romanticism dominated Western culture for one hundred years (1780-1880) and was born as a reaction against the Enlightenment and rationalism. It is characterized by an emphasis on the individual, emotions, spontaneity, nationalism, and the imagination. Romantics were rebels of the age, rejected the Church, and thus, were often alienated from society. This chapter focuses on the movement through its literature, architecture, music, and visual arts.