Francisco Goya
The Marquesa de Pontejos
Image courtesy of
The National Gallery of Art, U.S.A
Background:
Romanticism was a modern movement that grew out of historical movements such
as the Industrial Revolution and the Enlightenment. Romanticism was based
on the "preference for personal expression.
Effect on Faces and Figures:
Romanticism as an ideal is the opposite of what the neoclassical
school held. Rational thought was no longer as dominant in art, and was replaced
by emotional expression. The paintings produced by romantic painters are usually
very dramatic. The subject matter was provocative and often depicts some form
of human suffering. Romantic artists brought in brighter colors and freedom
in their brushstrokes, adding to the drama of the situation. Even simple portraits
contained a strong sense of emotion. Paintings like Delacroix'sAn
Orphan Girl in the Graveyard and Géricault's Woman with the
Gambling Mania uses the expressive nature of the eyes to capture the emotion
of the situation.
Famous Artists:
Francisco Goya, Eugène
Delacroix, Théodore Géricault
