FREE online courses on the Art Appreciation Basics - Analyzing the subject of a painting - Classic vs Romantic

 

You've heard of the "right brain versus left brain debate," right? The left side is rational and deals with words and numbers (think Mr. Spock). The right side is emotional, intuitive and colorful (think Austin Powers). Most people slightly lean toward one way or the other.

 

It's the exact same way with paintings: the left is "classic," and the right is "romantic."

 

Classic artists are more interested in the world as they know it to be (conceptual) rather than the world that meets the eyes (perceptual). Their works tend to be calm, balanced, cerebral, patterned, geometric, structural, and rational. Artists of this kind tend to find more important the underlying structure of things rather than the surface appearance. For a fine example of a classical work, check out this painting.

 

Romantic artists are more interested in the emotional effect of their work. Their art tends toward the theatrical, and they are more concerned with the surface appearance than underlying structure. Their works tend to be colorful, intuitive, dynamic, organic, and have movement and drama. To wallow in a romantic work, look at this painting.

 

Remember that these are broad categories and many works have characteristics of both. Some artists start out classic in their younger days only to grow wild in their old age.