The Enlightenment and Romanticism
1. Define the term “enlightenment.” Then
explain what this philosophy had to do with the ways artists began to view
their world and how to reflect it in their creations. Discuss two of the
specific signs of the way “enlightenment” affected the artists’ way
of looking at life.
2. Was the United States a leader or a follower in
respect to artistic movements and styles? Discuss some of the styles that
gained followings in the U.S. during the nineteenth century and why artists
such as John James Audubon and George Catlan were important.
3. Assume you have been given the ability to travel
back in time, and you are about to set off on a trip to the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries. The purpose of your trip is to give you the opportunity to visit
artists in their studios and to view firsthand the creation of some specific
types of paintings or sculpture.
Since the length of time you can spend on this journey
is limited, you must decide beforehand what styles you are most interested in.
The job you will have is to collect information concerning three different
styles as represented by two artists from each. You may choose from the
following:
1. Rococo
style
2. Romantic
style in painting or sculpture
3. Naturalistic
or realistic style in either Europe or North America
4. Impressionistic
style
5. Post
impressionistic style
Before you set out, you should have decided on the
three styles that interest you, have determined specific artists you wish to
visit, and come up with questions for which you wish to find answers. When you
return, you will need to prepare a report that includes the following for each
of the three styles you chose, as represented by two artists from each style:
1. Specific
information about the pieces you viewed and found most interesting
2. Images
of these pieces
3. Reasons
for the style to have gained popularity
4. Specific
features of the style
Your answer should provide an explanation about which style
you find most interesting. Include comments about whether or not you see
anything in modern artistic work – work of the 20th and 21st centuries – that
indicates that influences from this style still exist.





