Romanticism

Romanticism was seen as the first movement from traditional realism in art that had been developed since The Renaissance. Romanticism began in the 1760s and 70s as a revolutionary movement by British artists becoming increasingly disillusioned with the typical religious, historic and symbolic art of the time, instead focused their efforts toward more bizarre or unorthodox themes; using stark contrasts and tones, whilst French artists exhibited heroism particularly in battle depictions.

Eugène Delacroix is a prominent pioneer of romanticism. His original major painting the Barque of Dante; a fantasy piece based on Dante’s epic inferno. The piece uses juxtaposition and creates a sense of claustrophobia in his arrangement of the subjects on the boat.