Head vs. Heart
Head vs. Heart refers to the two differing art movements during the Late 18th & Early 19th century. Head refers to the Neoclassical movement, with Heart referring to the Romanticism movement. These differing movements had different ideals, Neoclassicism was very logical and portrayed scenes in a logical fashion. Romanticism, however, was a reaction to these logical ideals, and is very illogical glorifying the extreme and emotion in art. Head vs. Heart helps us remember this.
Historical Context
The art movements during this time period were highly influenced by current events, and often portrayed some of these events. The neoclassical movement in particular was influenced heavily by the Enlightenment movement, a movement that glorified the freedom of religion and separation of church and state, and civil liberties. People were becoming more politically aware, and more educated. Also the intellectuals were truly celebrated during the Enlightenment period, and praising rationality and logical thinking.
The art changed to reflect what the people of the time wanted, becoming more and more logical and realistic in portrayal. People called for art that taught enlightenment ideals, and returns to classical themed art. This type of art was a direct reaction against the Rococo art which was highly artificial and frivolous. Neoclassical art was the direct opposite of this art, being down to earth, realistic, and logical.
Philosophers viewed many of the horrors before them in a different light. They saw irrational emotion and how it made people treat each other with injustice and censor new ideas. They reacted directly against it, glorifying the logical and praising new ideas as long as they were supported and logical. They wanted new governments that allowed these ideas to thrive, and so they became politically active and worked to spread political ideas of what a true utopia would be, what systems of politics worked and what didn't and so on.
Eventually as time went on, more and more wars occurred, people saw what drove others, emotion. This was a time of revolution and change and a bloody time. This was a time of the Industrial Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, French Revolution, American Revolution, Scientific Discovery and major cultural output. Each of these events affected artists in some way. The Romantic art movement was in particular affected by some of these changes.
When religious freedom was allowed, the Roman catholic church lost its grip. Politically aware and educated people helped to topple Monarchies. Democracies faced problems and had to fix them. Industrialization and urbanization put pressure on cities and countries to change. New political ideologies arise, such as capitalism.
Those artists affected by these forces saw the current events and problems, chose to represent them. These artists birthed a new art movement called Romanticism. It followed emotion and portrayed art that brought about emotion in the viewers, and drew upon its mannerism heritage. They reacted against some of these movements or reacted to the forces in this time in general. For example, some Romanticists chose to paint large nature scenes and pictures of large open country in an effort against urbanization and the industrial revolution. Some saw current events and problems and chose to represent them the way they are to spread information about the atrocities or simply news that it happened. This can be seen in the paintings of Goya during the Spanish resistance against the French. Others painted slave ships, horrific accidents or just horrific scenes of demons. For example, the Raft of Medusa was about a shipwreck off the African coast. All of these paintings had something in common they all draw on powerful emotion.
The art changed to reflect what the people of the time wanted, becoming more and more logical and realistic in portrayal. People called for art that taught enlightenment ideals, and returns to classical themed art. This type of art was a direct reaction against the Rococo art which was highly artificial and frivolous. Neoclassical art was the direct opposite of this art, being down to earth, realistic, and logical.
Philosophers viewed many of the horrors before them in a different light. They saw irrational emotion and how it made people treat each other with injustice and censor new ideas. They reacted directly against it, glorifying the logical and praising new ideas as long as they were supported and logical. They wanted new governments that allowed these ideas to thrive, and so they became politically active and worked to spread political ideas of what a true utopia would be, what systems of politics worked and what didn't and so on.
Eventually as time went on, more and more wars occurred, people saw what drove others, emotion. This was a time of revolution and change and a bloody time. This was a time of the Industrial Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, French Revolution, American Revolution, Scientific Discovery and major cultural output. Each of these events affected artists in some way. The Romantic art movement was in particular affected by some of these changes.
When religious freedom was allowed, the Roman catholic church lost its grip. Politically aware and educated people helped to topple Monarchies. Democracies faced problems and had to fix them. Industrialization and urbanization put pressure on cities and countries to change. New political ideologies arise, such as capitalism.
Those artists affected by these forces saw the current events and problems, chose to represent them. These artists birthed a new art movement called Romanticism. It followed emotion and portrayed art that brought about emotion in the viewers, and drew upon its mannerism heritage. They reacted against some of these movements or reacted to the forces in this time in general. For example, some Romanticists chose to paint large nature scenes and pictures of large open country in an effort against urbanization and the industrial revolution. Some saw current events and problems and chose to represent them the way they are to spread information about the atrocities or simply news that it happened. This can be seen in the paintings of Goya during the Spanish resistance against the French. Others painted slave ships, horrific accidents or just horrific scenes of demons. For example, the Raft of Medusa was about a shipwreck off the African coast. All of these paintings had something in common they all draw on powerful emotion.