The Mood of Romanticism
History 104 / February 27, 2013
I. Intellectual background: subjectivity, not objectivity
A. Kant: all knowledge is mediated
B. Searching for eternal essences (not superficial appearances)
C. Symbols used to communicate complex meaning
D. Celebrating the bizarre and otherworldly
II. The Romantic artist
A. Individual genius, not just artisanal piece-work
B. Effusions of emotion
C. Inward explorations
III. A gallery of Romantic artists and intellectuals
A. Ethnographers and linguists: the Brothers Grimm
B. Storytellers: E. T. A. Hoffmann, Shelley
C. Mystic poets: Novalis, William Blake
D. Painters: Caspar David Friedrich, F. Goya
E. The prototypical Romantic: Beethoven