Overview

Overview

Romanticism was the major new trend in the arts of the early 1800's. Romantic art was not linked by subject matter or style but by a common desire to express the individual's innermost beliefs, feelings, or emotions. The search for a personal inner voice was often expressed in self-portraits. The romantics also made an important contribution to painting by popularizing landscapes. The most important artistic movements during the 1800's included realism, impressionism, and symbolism. During the late 1800's, art enjoyed unprecedented popularity. Each year, thousands of visitors attended exhibitions of new artworks held in most Western European countries.

The art world of the 1800's ended in great confusion and excitement. Many of the old pictorial traditions popular since the Renaissance were coming to an end. These traditions included deep logical space, linear perspective, and carefully modeled forms. Artists of the late 1800's engaged in experiments with space, two-dimensional forms, and the personal and expressive use of color, brushwork, and line. Because of the efforts, inspiration, and doubts of many artists of the late 1800's, the early 1900's would prove to be one of the most important and innovative periods in art history.