Pictured is “The Tree of Crows” by Casper David Friedrich.

By Darla McCammon and Darlene Romano

“The artist should paint not only what he sees before him, but also what he sees within him. If, however, he sees nothing within him, then he should also refrain from painting that which he sees before him.” -Casper David Friedrich

So far in this column over the course of the last few weeks, we have talked about the Renaissance, as well as the Baroque and Rococo movements, and learned how to identify each style. This week, in our review of art history, we are going to talk about 19th century Romanticism, a movement that took place around 1800 and continued through the mid-century. Romanticism was a broad movement that developed as a reaction against Neo-Classicism. The primary Neo-Classicist belief was that “art should express the ideal virtues in life and could improve the viewer by imparting a moralizing message.”

In other words, Neo-Classicists believed that art should shape the behaviors and morals of the viewer. The Neo-Classicist artists were more rigid in their thinking and supported the Art Academies and their rules. However, they were soon challenged in their ideals by Romanticist artists who believed that public opinion and politics were not as important as individualism and free thinking. Romanticism valued human emotions, instincts, and intuition over “a rational, rule-based approach to questions of value and meaning in the arts, society, and politics.” (“Isms…Understanding Art” by Stephen Little). Romanticism was in a broad sense tied to any artwork in which subjective states of mind, such as feelings and moods, dominated.

One such Romanticist was landscape artist Casper David Friedrich (1774-1840) who was generally considered the most important German artist of his generation. Working in ink, watercolor, sepias, and finally oils, Friedrich infused his work with romance by including elements such as skies, clouds, mist, and forests. His love of landscapes was influenced by his frequent trips to the German coast and mountains. Friedrich was the first artist to complete an altarpiece that was a landscape commissioned for a family chapel in Tetschen, Bohemia.

One example of the romantic landscapes that he produced is shown in his work titled “The Tree of Crows.” Everything about this image exudes romance: the swirling clouds, the branches that look as though they are swaying, the colors in the sky, the crows gliding through the air, and the fact that the time of day is near sunset. Even though there aren’t any humans in this painting, it’s easy to imagine a couple sitting on a blanket enjoying a romantic picnic under the breeze and the setting sun. This artwork instinctively feels familiar as if it is being viewed out of the window of a home up on a hill behind it. There is no moralizing message in this painting; rather, just a scene of a peaceful day at sunset to bring a feeling of calm to the viewer.

Artists of the Romanticism movement often used symbolism in their artwork, and crows are a common symbol of intelligence and cleverness. This painting, “The Tree of Crows,” is a perfect example of the Romanticism period in art history as it eschews the authority of Art Academies and encourages experimentation.