How a 200-year-old rebellion redefined your modern sense of self

Art · Published 26 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: We often view our intense emotions and love for nature as innate human traits. In reality, they are the legacy of a specific intellectual revolution. Romanticism shifted the Western gaze from the objective world to the subjective interior, fundamentally altering how we perceive children, business, and the very concept of the individual.

Emerging in the West between the late 18th and mid-19th centuries, Romanticism functioned as a profound cultural pivot. It was primarily a reaction against the Enlightenment's heavy emphasis on rationalism, physical materialism, and the strict order of Neoclassicism. While the preceding era championed balance, harmony, and calm, the Romantics sought out the irrational, the spontaneous, and the visionary. They traded the 'correct' rules of logic for an exaltation of the senses over the intellect. It specifically rejected the precepts of harmony and idealization that defined earlier styles. The movement arose as a pushback against the physical materialism of the late 1700s.

This movement redefined the artist as a supremely individual creator whose internal creative spirit carried more weight than formal tradition. It championed the 'genius' and the hero—figures defined by their inner struggles and passions rather than their social utility. This shift turned inward, encouraging a heightened examination of human personality, moods, and mental potentialities. By prioritizing imagination as a gateway to spiritual truth and transcendental experience, Romanticism provided the framework for our modern obsession with authenticity. This era also saw a new view of the artist who prioritized personal spirit over traditional procedures. It placed a heavy focus on the exceptional figure and their private passions.

The movement's reach was vast, influencing everything from architecture and music to historiography and folk culture. It fostered an obsessive interest in national origins, the medieval era, and even the 'monstrous' or 'occult.' Even today, Romanticism continues to color how we approach our most intimate spheres: it is responsible for contemporary attitudes toward love, nature, and the way we view childhood. The movement's name actually derives from an early appreciation for medieval romance. It also sparked a deep fascination with exotic locations and the mysterious or weird.

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