Though this may sound counterintuitive, Romanticism, in terms of the visual arts, is often anything but romantic. Romanticism developed in late 18th- and 19th-century Europe as an overall intellectual movement. There is no way of simply defining Romantic art in stylistic terms. What is most important about its practice is the ultimate goal of the artist to evoke emotion from the viewer. Most often, painting is the art form associated with Romanticism.
The visual art component of this movement put great focus on the Sublime, which was an idea developed by the philosopher Loginus in the first century A.D.
The Oxford Dictionary of Art summarizes Loginus' theory of the Sublime as being more powerful, vast, obscure and superhuman than beauty. The main thrust of the Sublime is its ability to inspire awe.
The idea of art being picturesque also developed during this period. The Oxford Dictionary of Art pinpoints this as the cause of the wonder of nature being the focus of some works of Romantic art.
French painter Eug?ne Delacroix was perhaps the most famous artist of the style in his region. He often took on subjects of violence, suffering, death and insanity, somewhat common themes in Romantic art. The Oxford Dictionary of Art refers to him as one of the last history painters in Europe.
Delacroix's painting "Liberty Leading the People," completed in 1830 in remembrance of the July Revolution, which took place in France that year, captures the gore and horror of war. It has been subsequently used as political propaganda for many revolutions internationally.
Spanish painter and printmaker Francisco de Goya took on themes of the supernatural and superhuman in many of his works. Though he completed many official portraits of Spanish nobility, he is and remembered for his mythological works and those depicting war.
"The Third of May 1808" depicts a scene from Napoleon's occupation of Spain. Like Delacroix, Goya vividly captures the horror of war. His thick, expressive brushstrokes and vivid colors create a hyper-real, dream-like setting for the event.
"Saturn Devouring his Son" depicts an event from Latin mythology. Part of a series called his "Black Paintings," these works were personal and hung in his house. Disturbingly, Goya hung "Saturn," a painting solely depicting cannibalism, in his dining room.
British oil and watercolor painter J.M.W Turner took on the Sublime in his landscapes. His goal was to elevate the landscape to high art, a category reserved for history paintings and portraits until this time.
According to the Oxford Dictionary of Art, Turner's paintings reflected the bleak colors of the British landscape he knew so well until a trip to Italy in 1819. This led to the bold use of color he is now known for.
If you're looking to see Romantic art in D.C., the National Gallery has many of Goya's portraits in its permanent collection, as well a series of Delacroix's drawings.
