Enlightenment Vs Romanticism

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1. During the late eighteenth century, the Enlightenment was in full swing and governments and countries across Europe began to liberalize and establish human rights for all. Such changes included the fall of absolute monarchies and the abolishment of the use of slaves across Europe and the rise of many radical ideologies, such as socialism and communism and revolutions that rose across Europe. This movement move would ultimately lead to the French Revolution and the Revolutions of 1848. This is when the leaders of Europe began act against future revolutions by starting the Counter-Enlightenment. This was when governments began to decrease the power that liberal organizations had on the masses and the power government had expanded. This all also affected the art world as well, with many creating works in the Romanticism style. …show more content…
Rather than focusing on practicality, logic, and science, as the Enlightenment preached, Romanticism focused on the inner emotions that nature expresses and drew toward dramatized pieces rather than honest and realistic ones, which were accustomed to Enlightenment pieces. The argument for Romanticism pieces were emphasizing the importance of emotion, imagination, and creativity. Due to the post-Enlightenment environment, these ideals were not exploited or expressed very well during the late eighteenth and throughout the nineteenth century. This was mainly due to the increased power of governments, the fall of demand for artworks that were popular during the height of the Catholic Church, and the industrial revolution. However, the Romanticism movement led a revival in the classical styles of art and created a break to those who did not fit into the Enlightenment