Romantic Era: Pre-Raphaelite Painters Versus Impressionism Painters
The first time I heard "Romantic Era," I immediately thought that the artwork would be full of people professing their love or having a deep love for their artwork. Instead, it seemed to be full of judgment and change. Several different kinds of art were made during this time. My personal favorites were by pre-Raphaelite painters.
John Everett Millais, Ophelia, 1851–52, oil on canvas, 76.2 x 111.8 cm
Ophelia by John Everett Millais is one of the most well-known paintings from the Pre-Raphaelite period (SmartHistory 2025). It is based on the Hamlet story by William Shakespeare. What Millais chose to paint was the moment in the Hamlet play when Ophelia was "driven mad by Hamlet's murder of her father, drowns herself was very unusual for the time" (SmartHistory 2025). There was so much attention to detail at all points of the painting. At first glance, one may assume it was a photograph of a woman. Instead, it was a painting brought to life through technique and skill. Ophelia's silver dress comes straight from the play; it seems like the dress is weighing her down in the river, and she barely keeps her head above water. The light reflects off her face, making that the focal point in the painting. Instead of the painting showing a diagonal line or a triangular shape, it reflects nature and profound sorrow.
While the painting Ophelia is one example, it does not show the full extent of Pre-Raphaelite painters. Another one that instantly catches the eye is The Princess Out of School by Edward Robert Hughes.
Edward Robert Hughes, The Princess Out of School, 1901, gouache and watercolor with some scratching out, 52 x 95.3 cm
It is said that the painting was based on a true story from Hughes's life based around the supernatural. However, the source is not reputable, so it is unknown whether that is true. Regardless of the history of the painting, it shows a woman lying on the ground looking into a puddle. Interestingly, the light shines on her back rather than towards her face, and instead, it thrusts her face into the shadows. It makes one wonder if she sees herself or something else with a clouded mind. The vegetation around her grows towards her, almost like they are drawn to her. Her face is painted in an expression of curiosity and wonder. These paintings show the care and time the artists put into their craft. Both of these paintings fills me with wonder and awe and how much detail was put into every brush stoke. They're remarkably beautiful and one could dream that they would end up in their possession.
If these paintings came from the romantic era, one would think there would be any changes made to something so beautiful. However, that is not the case. During roughly the same period, the Impressionism art style used small but visible brush strokes. The paintings have less detail and instead focus on the moment and the light.
Edouard Manet, The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil, 1874, Oil on Canvas, 61 x 99.7 cm.
Manet spent time with the Monet family and other painters in their garden. One day, he painted the Monet family while they were relaxing and enjoying their time in the garden (TheMet year unknown). While it shows a moment in time for this family, it feels almost rushed. The painting was done outside while the lighting disappeared with every passing minute. There is no accurate blending of colors; instead, it seems incomplete with how it is done. That may be precisely why some enjoy the impressionism painting style. However, for others like myself, it feels as though something is missing. That said, Mrs. Monet stares directly out of the painting, making it hard to look away. Then, there is the watering can, where the highlights show where the light is hitting it. While I would not personally own this painting, I appreciate the moment it came from.
Another example of impressionism is Young Girl Bathing by Auguste Renoir who also happened to be at the garden with Monet and Manet during the last mentioned painting.
Auguste Renoir, Young Girl Bathing, 1892, Oil on Canvas, 81.3 x 64.8 cm.
Throughout the entire painting, there are fine brush strokes, making her seem delicate. The light hits her seemingly from above, and Renoir paints the shadows cast on her midsection from her arm and in the creases of her legs. It is hard to know what she is sitting on or what is in the background, but it is full of various colors. At first glance, I think of the tree from Dr. Suess's book The Lorax. Art History states, "The artwork depicts a serene scene of a young girl in a natural setting, capturing the delicate interplay of light and shadow on her skin" (Art History year unknown). The only accurate detail in this painting is the young girl herself, but with the visible brush strokes, it seems unfinished. More was meant to be in the background, but Renoir either forgot to finish it or lost interest. It makes me feel as though I am missing out on something and what resembles to be disappointment.
Each of these paintings has a different style. The Pre-Raphaelite style has more depth and detail, focusing on the beauty of time and nature. In Contrast, Impressionism focuses so much on the moment that it seems almost like the artist ran out of time. Not all will agree with what is written here, but that is the beauty of art. Not all view it the same or appreciate it the same.
Dr. Rebecca Jeffrey Easby, Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker, "Sir John Everett Millais, Ophelia," in Smarthistory, February 7, 2025, https://smarthistory.org/millais-ophelia/.
“Edouard Manet: The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436965.
“Young Girl Bathing, Painting by Auguste Renoir (1892).” ArtHistory.GG, www.arthistory.gg/painting/young-girl-bathing.
Tiambria,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your interpretations of each painting. For the first painting, I could also see the dress as a weight on her, bringing her down in the water. This painting truly depicts her sorrow and how she was feeling at that time and I think the artist did a great job at demonstrating this. After some further research, I found that the flowers portrayed in this painting represent faithfulness, chastity, death and innocence. I find this quite interesting after knowing the background of her story. The second painting really caught my attention. To me, the woman looks like she's sniffing flowers and looking at her reflection in a pond. I also agree that it looks like the flowers are leaning towards her. Out of the two, I would say I like the second one more because of the details of the painting and how peaceful it looks. The third painting genuinely looks like a family outing to me but I also see how there could be something missing, I think the artist was trying to portray a nice moment of the family. The last painting doesn't have much details to me and it just looks like a portrait of a naked woman. Out of the last two paintings, I would say I prefer the one with the family because it shows a raw moment of a family enjoying their time together. I think you did a great job at portraying the art elements.
Hello Tiambria,
ReplyDeleteI appreciated your thoughtful exploration of pre-Raphaelite and Impressionist art, it brought me great enjoyment. The Romantic Era extended beyond love to encompass profound emotion and symbolic transformation. Your clear preference for the Pre-Raphaelites demonstrates an understanding that I share entirely. Millais' Ophelia and Hughes' The Princess Out of School show remarkable detail and emotional depth, which you described so vividly that I could appreciate their complexity. You provided an insightful analysis of the art elements, specifically examining light and shadow alongside natural surroundings. You did a great job showing how the vegetation in Hughes' painting seemed to interact with the subject as though it possessed a life of its own.
I found your response to the Impressionist artworks both intriguing and insightful. The way you openly shared your feelings about how the Impressionist style's looseness left you wanting something more resonated with me despite your recognition of specific aspects like Mrs. Monet's gaze and Renoir's delicate brushwork. You provided an insightful interpretation of Impressionist artists' focus on capturing transient moments rather than achieving flawless detail. This comparison revealed that Pre-Raphaelite art represents timelessness and contemplation while Impressionist art expresses immediacy and transience. I would add that both styles have their kind of beauty: One style demonstrates precision while the other conveys atmosphere. Your post helped me understand that art interpretation depends heavily on personal perspective. Great work!
Good evening,
ReplyDeleteI had a fun time reading this post. I can see you put a lot of thought and effort into it. Out of the two styles between Pre-Raphaelite paintings and impressionism I'd have to say I prefer the latter. While I do appreciate the religious and historical themes used in Pre-Raphaelite paintings, I prefer the impressionism way of showing everyday life that highlights what people see and feel in that immediate moment. It seems the artist intentions in the Pre-Raphaelite paintings was to focus more on the details compared to the impressionism pieces. The impressionism artists seemed to work more on the big picture rather than the little details as well as incorporating light into it. One cool fact I learned is that Pre-Raphaelite style paintings often used a technique of painting on wet ground in order to achieve the effect of transparency in their art. Thank you for posting!