Pre Romanticism

Описание: (1740-1790)
Pre-Romanticism, cultural movement in Europe from about the 1740s onward that preceded and presaged the artistic movement known as Romanticism (q.v.). Chief among these trends was a shift in public taste away from the grandeur, austerity, nobility, idealization, and elevated sentiments of Neoclassicism or Classicism toward simpler, more sincere, and more natural forms of expression. This new emphasis partly reflected the tastes of the growing middle class, who found the refined and elegant art forms patronized by aristocratic society to be artificial and overly sophisticated; the bourgeoisie favoured more realistic artistic vehicles that were more emotionally accessible.

A major intellectual precursor of Romanticism was the French philosopher and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He emphasized the free expression of emotion rather than polite restraint in friendship and love, repudiated aristocratic elegance and recognized the virtues of middle-class domestic life, and helped open the public’s eyes to the beauties of nature. Rousseau introduced the cult of religious sentiment among people who had discarded religious dogma, and he inculcated the belief that moral development was fostered by experiencing powerful sympathies. He also introduced the idea that the free expression of the creative spirit is more important than strict adherence to formal rules and traditional procedures.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica
Music: Antonin Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 (American), Mov. I, Op. 96