In his book The Romantic Revolution, Tim Blanning puts forth the argument that not only two physical revolutions took place between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution) but also a third movement had its place in history at this time. This is the case for the Romantic Revolution which is a phrase that Blanning uses in the book to categorise an expansive period of change between these years. These were changes in culture, ideas and processes of thought. Blanning considers this to be a revolution of the artists and intellectuals . Not only does Blanning argue for the existence of this revolution, but he also asserts that it is as pertinent and as influential upon the modern day as the
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Each chapter has a theme in which he discusses stages of the Romantic era beginning the role of Jean-Jacques Rousseau as one of the pivotal figures in the turning point of the Age of Enlightenment to the Romantic Era in European intellectual society and concluding with the impact the movement had on more modern day historical movements. He cites Rousseau’s work, La Nouvelle Heloise as a defining and influential piece of literature that kick-started the movement and draws parallels between the Romantic era and future movements. He then continues to write about various characteristics of the movement such as the elevation of the artist as the creator, the reactions of the academic intellectuals and a section on the German romantics and their focus on mythology and language. In essence, Blanning draws comparisons throughout the entire book between the shift from “classical or mimetic aesthetics” of the enlightenment era to the more “expressive aesthetics” of the romantic era. By this he means the change in how art was perceived and how the artist was came to be viewed as a far more important figure and an inspired rather than simply a craftsman, following a practice and study in order to recreate a design. Within the book, Blanning also challenges many common perceptions about the era, such as its timescale and (despite highlighting the …show more content…
The structure of the book is laid out in a clear and concise manner that is easy to follow. Despite its limitations, the evidence does at least hold up in terms of documenting a rapid change in the way art was presented and somewhat received. Blanning does consider other artist’s reactions to other works and also, the general public’s, using critical writings from the time. Whether or not this could be called a revolution is another matter, as it is really up to the definition of the reader. However, when comparing the movement to the Industrial and French revolutions, one could argue that it was equal as influential in implementing change as the latter two. The influence that the movement had upon later tradition in thought, which Blanning documents in the final chapter, do indicate this. Blanning argues here that ideas from the Romantic period diid resurge in the 1888 and continue in different reactionary forms in the 20th century. The movement may not have been as physical or measureable as the other two, but the evidence provided does seem to point to a rapid shift in the creation of art and how it was perceived and that has had quite a large impact on how Europe operates
Each chapter has a theme in which he discusses stages of the Romantic era beginning the role of Jean-Jacques Rousseau as one of the pivotal figures in the turning point of the Age of Enlightenment to the Romantic Era in European intellectual society and concluding with the impact the movement had on more modern day historical movements. He cites Rousseau’s work, La Nouvelle Heloise as a defining and influential piece of literature that kick-started the movement and draws parallels between the Romantic era and future movements. He then continues to write about various characteristics of the movement such as the elevation of the artist as the creator, the reactions of the academic intellectuals and a section on the German romantics and their focus on mythology and language. In essence, Blanning draws comparisons throughout the entire book between the shift from “classical or mimetic aesthetics” of the enlightenment era to the more “expressive aesthetics” of the romantic era. By this he means the change in how art was perceived and how the artist was came to be viewed as a far more important figure and an inspired rather than simply a craftsman, following a practice and study in order to recreate a design. Within the book, Blanning also challenges many common perceptions about the era, such as its timescale and (despite highlighting the …show more content…
The structure of the book is laid out in a clear and concise manner that is easy to follow. Despite its limitations, the evidence does at least hold up in terms of documenting a rapid change in the way art was presented and somewhat received. Blanning does consider other artist’s reactions to other works and also, the general public’s, using critical writings from the time. Whether or not this could be called a revolution is another matter, as it is really up to the definition of the reader. However, when comparing the movement to the Industrial and French revolutions, one could argue that it was equal as influential in implementing change as the latter two. The influence that the movement had upon later tradition in thought, which Blanning documents in the final chapter, do indicate this. Blanning argues here that ideas from the Romantic period diid resurge in the 1888 and continue in different reactionary forms in the 20th century. The movement may not have been as physical or measureable as the other two, but the evidence provided does seem to point to a rapid shift in the creation of art and how it was perceived and that has had quite a large impact on how Europe operates