| Enlightenment Period - Romantic Age | | | | conveyed influence, power, and wealth. |
| Comparisons | | | | Clients of architects admired and wished to |
| | | | embody the ideology of Roman power and |
| Researched and Authored by: Michael J. | | | | exhibition into their own homes and public |
| Spindler | | | | buildings, conveying to the observer a sense |
| | | | of virtue, wisdom, and harmony. |
| The authors of this paper are going to | | | | |
| present to the reader five areas of the | | | | In the Romantic Age, America's diversity was |
| humanities, art, music, architecture, | | | | celebrated by the diversity of and supported |
| philosophy, and literature from the | | | | by an explosion in the size of growing |
| Enlightenment period as well as the Romantic | | | | population. Architectural stylings of federal |
| Age. The examples chosen are meant to reflect | | | | buildings are obvious interpretations of |
| the developments and forces that affected | | | | Greek and Roman architecture, an attempt by |
| world events and how these examples molded | | | | leaders of a young struggling country to |
| cultural patterns. This evolution of | | | | convey structure and the power of the |
| humankinds views of the world and humans | | | | government. More important, the use of iconic |
| place in the world profoundly affected the | | | | architectural types fosters the loyalty and |
| following century and the course of the | | | | faith of the people in the new democracy. |
| modern people in today's society. | | | | |
| | | | Philosophy in the Renaissance era was greatly |
| Art has traditionally been a reflection and | | | | influenced by the bubonic plague also known |
| an artist's interpretation of the world | | | | as the Black Death. An example of |
| around the artists. During the Age of | | | | philosophical change brought on by the plague |
| Enlightenment, there were five major types of | | | | was the shift in thought that caused people |
| art movements; Neoclassicism, Romanticism, | | | | to challenge traditional seats of authority. |
| French Naturalism, French Realism, and | | | | Because of the lack of skilled labor due to |
| Impressionism. "In part a reaction against | | | | shrinking population, laborers began |
| baroque and rococo excesses, neoclassicism is | | | | demanding higher standards of living and a |
| associated, in France, with a return to | | | | more equitable place in society. |
| "virtue" and an acceptance of the new | | | | |
| ideological demands of the French | | | | The randomness of the plague, the fact that |
| Revolution."(Boguslawski, 2005) This form of | | | | it afflicted people from all social and |
| art reinforced society's responsibilities to | | | | economic classes lead to the abandonment of |
| honor, duty, and more important, patriotism. | | | | traditional religious practices and changed |
| | | | the way people thought of death. During the |
| Impressionism in the Age of Enlightenment | | | | enlightenment period intellectuals attempted |
| lends to a play on light within common | | | | to understand and explain their environment. |
| themes. Claude Monet is perhaps the best | | | | This inquisitiveness bore a set of principles |
| example. While not politically inspiring, | | | | which were believed to govern all human |
| Impressionism allows the viewer to spend time | | | | interactions. These principles were believed |
| reflecting on the beauty and the play of | | | | to be part of the universe and mandated by |
| colors and lighting. | | | | reason as opposed to being ordered or forced |
| | | | on people by kings or the church. |
| "Romantic artists interpreted things through | | | | |
| their own emotions, and these emotions | | | | A second example is the political theories |
| included social and political | | | | that framed the debate of the social contract |
| consciousness--as one would expect in a | | | | between rulers and those being ruled. John |
| period of revolution, one that reacted so | | | | Locke's view that the ruled possesses |
| strongly to oppression and injustice in the | | | | ultimate power and have a natural right to |
| world." (English Department, Brooklyn | | | | life, liberty and estate clearly influenced |
| College, 2001) Despite the term Romantic, the | | | | Thomas Jefferson as he wrote the American |
| period was a time of revolution and social | | | | Declaration of Independence 100 years later. |
| upheavals as society on all levels struggled | | | | |
| for a voice and a place in the evolving | | | | Christine De Pisan's Book of the "City of |
| world. Across all fields of expression, the | | | | Ladies", which championed women's importance |
| period was a movement away from rationalism | | | | to society, was milestone in society. The |
| towards an exploration of human nature. | | | | work is written as a debate where she |
| Emotion became both the subject and the | | | | interviews three goddesses on moral issues. |
| object of most popular art forms of this | | | | The authors selected this work because this |
| period. Rather then just picking a specific | | | | example is a milestone in women's emergence |
| work of art, the authors' intention is to | | | | as equal partners in Western society in that |
| enlighten the reader to the influences and | | | | it was one of the first instances of the |
| motivations of the artists in this period, | | | | subject being addressed from a woman's point |
| rather than describing how a portrait may | | | | of view by a woman. Niccolo Machiavelli's |
| have affected the few. | | | | book "The Prince" was a practical guide of |
| | | | how to establish political stability through |
| Music in the Enlightenment period was | | | | the use of arbitrary power. The author |
| immortalized in the works of Amadeus Mozart. | | | | selected this work because Machiavelli |
| Though gifted from a young age, it was | | | | ignored morality in his explanations of how |
| through diversity and necessity that forced | | | | rulers imposed their will on friend and foe |
| Mozart to achieve his potential. Most | | | | alike. This ideology gave form and a certain |
| musicians of the period were at the employ of | | | | level of legitimacy to the "ends justify the |
| churches and royalty. The free lance | | | | means" mentality common to many autocratic |
| lifestyle Mozart led, lent to a freedom of | | | | governments thereafter. |
| expression… "This step in the direction | | | | |
| of artistic and intellectual freedom was a | | | | The first example is Locke's "Of Civil |
| central part of the Enlightenment." (Donelan, | | | | Government". The author chose this because it |
| 1999) Interestingly, Mozart's work may have | | | | serves as the basis of thought behind the |
| reinforced his attachment to the ideas of the | | | | ideals set forth in our own Declaration of |
| Enlightenment period, while a feeling of | | | | Independence and Constitution. While reading |
| subversion is also equally expressed at | | | | "Of Civil Government" the author came to |
| times. | | | | understand that our Declaration of |
| | | | Independence was Jefferson's affirmation of |
| Mozart was not easily impressed that was | | | | Natural Law as applied to the social contract |
| until Ludwig van Beethoven performed for | | | | between governments and their citizens. |
| Mozart in 1787. Beethoven had a singular | | | | |
| brilliance about him; as a result, he went | | | | The second example is Adam Smith's Inquiry |
| through a number of instructors, some of | | | | into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of |
| histories most memorable composers of the | | | | Nations. It applied Natural Law to labor and |
| time. Beethoven's hearing loss was a | | | | trade and defined free trade. |
| progressive deterioration over a 16 year | | | | |
| period beginning in 1801. Around the year | | | | The authors have explored specific examples, |
| 1802, his hearing loss opened new doors in | | | | people in history, and how social tides |
| his composition. Compositions were written | | | | changed the directions taken in of each |
| that challenged the traditional | | | | category that was explored. The world that is |
| characterizations of music of the time. | | | | known today is a product of generations who |
| "Beethoven's influence on following composers | | | | were able to express themselves through art, |
| has been immeasurable. Aside from his | | | | music, architecture, philosophy, and |
| architectonic innovations and expansion of | | | | literature. The emotions, ideas, and energy |
| the classical sonata and symphony, he brought | | | | conveyed through time, give humans a better |
| to music a new depth and intensity of emotion | | | | understanding of where they have been and the |
| that was emulated by later romantic | | | | courage to continue the journey forward. |
| composers…" (Angelfire.com, n.d.) | | | | |
| | | | References - Do Not Strip Article References |
| The Romantic era could easily be split | | | | |
| between two types of composers. A | | | | (n.d.). Ludwig van Beethoven. Retrieved |
| conservative approach embodying the Romantic | | | | January 22, 2008, from |
| periods styling and ideology, yet in close | | | | |
| quarters to traditional sounding classical | | | | Boguslawski, A. (2005). 18TH-Century: |
| music. Prominent composers of this type of | | | | Intorduction. Retrieved January 22, 2008, |
| composition include Schubert, Schumann, | | | | from |
| Mendelssohn and Brahms. Representing a more | | | | |
| forward thinking expression of music included | | | | Boyd-Brent, J. (2008). The Architects of The |
| Berlioz, Strauss, and Wagner. "Berlioz, | | | | Enlightenment. Retrieved January 22, 2008, |
| Strauss, and Wagner were all progressives | | | | from |
| whose music challenged the audiences of their | | | | |
| day." (Schmidt-Jones, 2007) All composers of | | | | Donelan, J. (1999, September 26;). Mozart and |
| the Romantic period faced a common problem, | | | | Enlightenment Thought. Retrieved January 22, |
| taking music in a new direction. The | | | | 2008, from |
| composers mentioned composed memorable works | | | | |
| of music, but nothing notable that truly | | | | English Department, Brooklyn College (2001, |
| changed the music world. This period was more | | | | September 23,). Introduction to Romanticism. |
| of a transition that led the world to begin | | | | Retrieved January 22, 2008, from |
| experiencing new innovations that led to | | | | |
| modern music. | | | | Schmidt-Jones, C. (2007, October 31;). The |
| | | | Music of the Romantic Era. Retrieved January |
| British architects of the Enlightenment age | | | | 22, 2008, from |
| include Colen Campbell, James Gibbs and | | | | |
| Robert Adam whom also happen to be of | | | | Researched and Authored by: Michael J. |
| Scottish descent, "interpreting the first | | | | Spindler |
| phase of Classicism in the Palladian form." | | | | |
| (Boyd-Brent, 2008) Architecture of the | | | | Free to distribute - However- Do not strip |
| period, inspired by the classic forms of Rome | | | | Research Article References, remove the HTML |
| and Greece, gave rise to a styling that | | | | if needed, but keep the URL text. |