Romanticism
Topic: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 1 "The Rise of Nationalism in Europe"; Class 12, Ch 1 "Colonialism and the Countryside"
Meaning
Romanticism was a cultural movement in Europe in the late 18th and 19th centuries. It turned against the cult of reason and science that had grown during the Enlightenment. Instead it valued emotion, intuition and mystical feelings. Romantic artists and poets tried to build national feeling around a shared cultural past. They looked to folk songs, folk tales, old languages and history. This made Romanticism a strong force behind nationalism in Europe.
Example
The French painter Eugène Delacroix painted The Massacre at Chios in 1824. It showed Greeks being killed by Ottoman forces. The painting aimed to stir the feelings of European viewers so that they would feel sympathy for the Greek cause.
Don't confuse with
- Liberal nationalism: liberal nationalism built the nation on rights, constitutions and parliaments. Romanticism built it on feeling and a shared culture.
Related concepts
- July Revolution
- Greek War of Independence
- Johann Gottfried Herder
- Volksgeist
- Ethnic nationalism
- Grimm brothers
- Partition of Poland