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Realism As A Reaction To Romantism

Introduction

Romantism emerged in the mid eighteenth Century in the Western part of Europe. This form of art arose at the same time as the industrial revolution. Prior to the introduction of romantism, there was the age of enlightenment that was characterised by refined political norms and cultural institutions. Romantism served to revolt against these norms by defying the rationalization of nature through science. Romantism was depicted in many forms of culture like literature, music and most importantly art.

During the Romantism era, there was the use of strong emotions. This was mostly in relation to artistic expressions. It made use of the following emotion to express the inspirational aspects of untamed nature.

• horror
• trepidation
• awe

Romantism also emphasised the fact that this untamed nature was picturesque. During the expression of romantism, there is an emphasis on the fact that human activities are affected by nature especially in regard to the language, usage and customs at that time. Besides this, Romantism as a movement embraces aspects of art that were deeply rooted in the medieval times. It also utilises modes that are unfamiliar and authentic.

In contrast realism may be defined as the use of subjects in day to day life as they are. Items are depicted without distorting them or embellishing them. This means that some of the works depicted may be called ugly since the process of trying to depict truth will consequently bring out this element in their work. Realism had its roots in France during the mid twentieth century. It was facilitated by the introduction of photography and the realisation that objects could be displayed as they are. Realism was deeply rooted in objective reality since exaggeration was eliminate form this form of art. (Fried, 1990)

How realism eradicated Romantism from its practice

During the middle of the 1800s, Romantism had begun showing signs of being extreme; this was partly because of the fact that most art works were now getting opulent. Consequently, art lovers and enthusiasts started accustomed to this form of art and they found it rather dull. There was therefore a need to introduce another form of art that stepped away from elements common in romantism. This brought about the introduction of realism since people wanted to see the world in realistic point of view. There was a need to bring in something new since classical paintings and art works that were romantic in nature had now become too common. (Rubin, 1980)

One of the first realist artists was Courbet. He had first asked for permission for his paintings to be displayed but this was initially rejected. However, after the introduction of the concept of realism as a movement had been popularised, then his paintings started gaining momentum. Other artists like Jean Millet and Gustave Courbet were also pioneers in the realist movement and became well associated with the genre of art. The latter painter was famed for depicting realistic aspects of life in his paintings. Realism was depicted in four of his first paintings. These were done from 1848 to 1850.

Romantism had started getting extreme because it was seen as fictional and detached. They used colours and imagery that were lavish in nature. Most of their works were centred along exotic themes. Works done during the romantic era had people dressed up in fashionable clothing and did not carry a lot of deep meaning within them. This form of expression was extremely popular during the earl part of that century but by the time the century was half way, people were tired of this form; it stopped being fashionable any more. Romantics were known to paint in a showing manner; classicalists were known to paint according to strict rules. But by the time realism started taking root, both schools of thought were loosing ground. Romantics were associated with flamboyance while classicalists were associated with rigidity and too much formality in their work. (Rubin, 1980)

One of the major aspects of realism that made it stand out from romantism is the fact that artists who adhered to the latter form emphasised the fact that all paintings ought to relate to present times. It was very common during the romantic era to observe cases where artists attempted to depict revolutions and movements that had occurred in their history. One example of such an artist was Delacroix. He did a painting on Liberty leading the people as shown below. He also did a painting on oriental elements of the North African people. In contrast to this, a realist does not focus on heroic actions or history; they instead display images of say people working in a farm rather than someone championing a noble cause.

Source: Art encyclopaedia (1999): European art history; retrieved from http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/ accessed on 30th January 2008

Realism rejects some notions put forward by romantics. Their theme was mainly escapists and this brought about the main difference between the two forms of art. There was also the aspect of getting inspiration form literary works. This was common among romantic painters. Realists did not consider literary works during their art representation. An artist like Courbet did not incorporate these into his art forms. He also had very little to do with escapist notions in his work. He depicted most of it as close to the present world as possible without trying to make it more meaningful. Gustave Courbet was responsible for enforcing the idea that artists could bring out certain element of their work without necessarily modifying it so that a certain massage could be passed to the audience. (Mack, 1951)

Realists used the elements of the revolution in 1848 to gain inspiration. Realism was seen as a form of rebellion from romantism. This analogy could also be applied to historical occurrences at that time when realism was gaining momentum. This is because realism and the revolution were both seen as a paradigm shift from the norm. This was the reason why Courbet had the courage to start up his own form of exhibition which he dubbed as ‘Pavilion of Realism'. This exhibition had eleven paintings that had previously been rejected.

Source; Gustave Courbet, Burial at Ornans, 1849. Oil on canvas, approx 10' x 22', Louvre, Paris Posted by Hello

This same artist was responsible for giving the art world the first masterpiece in realism. This was a painting of some of the people he saw during a funeral for his uncle. The painting was called ‘Burial at Ornans' and was made in the month of September during the year 1848. During the making of this great painting, Gustave used actual people in the funeral; this was in contrast to what is done among romantics who usually get actors to pose as people who had existed at another time. The painting depicted real people; it was able to show how life in that town was like and how the people of that area were too. One could see the artist's family and friends in contradiction to the sadness witnessed during the funeral. Because there was a lack of heroic depiction and a lot of ordinary representation in this painting, critics were dismayed. The painting on the canvas was quite long; about ten by twenty feet, it gave observers ample space to clearly analyse it. (Nochlin, 1976) The painting also had some people watching the goings on of the funeral at a distance, a white dog and pictures of clergy men and priests. The dog gave a contrast to the colour of clothing which the rest of the participants were wearing as their clothes ware black. What stunned observers of the painting was the fact that Gustave gave an ordinary funeral (with ordinary mourners) such significance by depicting them with dignity. This was the landmark that made most artists get interested in the notion of ordinary things closer to them, consequently realism emerged. It is also interesting to note that there was symbolism in that painting because it was not just depicting the funeral and death of Gustave's uncle, but it was also showing the burial of romantism as a form of expression in art.

Source: Art encyclopaedia (1999): European art history; retrieved from http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/ accessed on 30th January 2008

Another artist that was instrumental in the spread and popularisation of realism was Jean Francois Millet. This artist was famed for the depiction of peasants and the peasant lifestyle. This was mostly because during his time most citizens of France lived in rural settings, it would therefore be more realistic to depict images of such individuals rather than historical events or issues that were removed from them. Millet gave a positive image to the relationship between soil and peasants. Indeed it was these kinds of images that somehow glorified the work and livelihood of the poor. This was actually the reason why his work was initially banned because it was considered by the government of the day as a source of incitement for the living people of that area. Millet brings out the nobility and importance of labour. One of his most significant paintings is one in which he has painted three women trying to gather the last portions of the harvest. Society disregarded such types of labourers but the opposite was brought out in the painting. First of all, the three women are placed at the centre of the piece while a stretched field can be seen in the background. In addition to this, there is a clear sky that can be seen thus bringing out the timelessness of their activities. If the painting had been done by a romantic, then may be these labourers would have been place somewhere in the background while some important person like a king would have been the focal point of the painting. But the opposite has been displayed in Millet's work. (Holt, 1976)

Millet was also famed for the use of shepherds in his work. Another painting of his has a young girl tending to a flock of sheep. The scene has some rays of golden light coming from the sky and this strike against the sheep that are beside this young girl. The sheep themselves are aligned such that they appear balanced and harmonious. The girl's body has balanced with the way the sheep have been placed on the left part of the painting. Millet also did another painting that depicted two workers carrying implements. One of them was a man holding a hoe while the other was a lady carrying a rake. This man is gazing into the distance while stepping on the hoe while the lady is raking the land but wears a look of sadness. In so doing Millet was showing what normally occurs in the day to day lives of people. This was an aspect that was inherently absent from romantic paintings in the previous era. (Rubin, 1997)

Realism played a different role in society as compared to romantism. Romantism came at a time when there were some European nations that had been taken over by other nations for example Russia had dominated Poland. This meant that those who had been crushed had to have a sense of patriotism and devotion to their former traditions. Therefore artists used their skills to express the importance of their own culture. They also contrasted it to the culture of the dominating countries. This was the reason why most art pieces at that time were characterised as a sort of awakening. Artists at that time reinterpreted traditions and customs to emphasise this aspect. Revolution was also an element in paintings and artistic works of the romantic era. But Realism provided a shift in these aspects as it focuses on practical subjects. One such example is John Waterhouse.

Source; Nochlin, L. (1996): Realism, romantism and Tradition in Art 1848-1900. Prentice- Hall inc., Englewood Cliffs

The above paintings depict the differences that were observed in art works made for the romantic era and those that had been made during the realism era. At the extreme left is the Lady of Shalott (1888): This was work done by a realist called John Waterhouse.  At the extreme right is a depiction of ‘the fighting Temeraire tugged to her last Berth.' by Turner (1816). Realism eradicates elements of the romantic impulses because as it can be seen from the painting in the left that romantics tended to use the idea of travelling and nature to bring out their subjects. The realist used a commonplace subject while the romantic used a classical subject. Besides this, the romantic painter brings out the following issues

• harmony
• beauty
• completeness
• order

In contrast, the realist has brought out his personal observations. It may be true that some of the above elements my also be depicted in the first painting, but this is not top on its priority list. If depictions of certain art works happen to bring out these aspects, then it is mere coincidence and not the sole purpose of the art work.(Nochlin, 1971)

Realism served to eliminate romantic impulses because there is depiction of artists as ordinary. Most of the subjects in realists' paintings and art works did not display any semblance to heroes as was the case with art works from the romantic era. This implied that artist during the realism era were bold enough to take things as they are. This was the reason why there was a need to distort images and subjects by romantics. In day to day life, subjects may not always find solutions to their problems, but romantics tend to ignore that fact thus putting them in a position where they have to alter what they observe to suite or go with certain notions or ideas in their minds. (Kleiner, 2001)

Realism is based on taking a pragmatic standpoint but it should be noted that the concept of truth differs from one subject to another. Different artists represented their concept of the truth in their own ways because every one chooses what they believe is true and what is not. In this sense, realistic artists have different styles as a result of these differences. But in relation to this, there is a strong aspect that stands out when examining realists' works. There is a need for a sort of consensus among members of a certain community so that they can agree that certain observations are regarded as facts. It is essential for consensus to occur since different individuals have different perceptions and these may be subjects of controversy and disagreement. This is the reason why most art works done by realists tended to have a surface value. Romantism left a lot of room for deeper analyses and interpretations whereas realism simply brought out objects and ideas as they are. Realists emphasised the fact that it was necessary to establish something as true only if it had widespread support. (Nochlin, 1971)

Another important aspect in realism is the fact that artists have to master the human form. Since there is little room for distortion, a thorough analysis of this basic physical subject must be done so that representations are as factual and as true as possible. Accuracy is critical in this form of art and this can only be achieved through rendering form in a convincing manner. Realists are also characterised by a fairly good ability to emulate their surroundings and observations. This does not mean that their works will lack certain elements of beauty and harmony but this will only be the case if the observable subject matter posses those same traits.

Conclusion

Realism brought fresh ideas from the established concept of romantism. This is because it displayed ordinary people and shifted away from heroes or people with noble intentions. Realism did not display images from events that were rooted in history; instead, they focused on present times. But in my view, realism did not completely eradicate romantic impulses from its work. Although most of the people displayed in realistic paintings were ordinary, they were represented in an extra ordinary way. They were exemplified and made to appear noble. This latter concept was inherently present in romantic paintings. Gustave and Millet depicted ordinary labourers but they made them appear artistic by the way they embodied them using rich backgrounds. Realism has distinct differences from romantism but there are some elements of romantism that can still be seen in realism. (Clark, 1999)

Reference

Art encyclopaedia (1999): European art history; retrieved from http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/ accessed on 30th January 2008

Nochlin, L. (1996): Realism, romantism and Tradition in Art 1848-1900. Prentice- Hall inc., Englewood Cliffs

Clark, T. (1999): Gustave Courbet and the 1848 Revolution, Thames and Hudson Ltd., London

Holt, J. (1976): Jean-Francois Millet: Graphis Press Ltd., London.

Fried, M. (1990): Courbet's Realism, University of Chicago Press, Chicago

Kleiner, F. et al (2001): Gardner's Art Through the Ages, Eleventh Edition. Harcourt, Inc., Orlando, Florida

Nochlin, L. (1976): Gustave Courbet: A Study of Style and Society; Garland Publishing Inc., New York

Mack, G. (1951): Gustave Courbet; Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut.

Nochlin, L. (1971): Realism, Penguin, London.

Rubin, J. (1997): Courbet; Phaidon Press, London.

Rubin, J. (1980): Realism and Social Vision in Courbet & Proudhon; Princeton University Press, New Jersey.

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