Romanticism Final Project

Introduction -- Romanticism has proven to be an era of an explosion of ideas, some of them "appearing" to be contradictory. For example we have the personal intimacy of Chopin and Wordsworth contrasted with the extravagant emotions of Wagner, Goya, and Faust. We have tremendous advancements in science and knowledge competing with concerns of hubris. The search for the sublime appears to be a withdrawal to personal intimacy but how is that reconciled with salvation through love? There is alienation and sense of man not being in control (will) contrasted with the concern for man's brutality to man. There is typical "romance", one's battle with following one's emotions in order to fully live being confronted by the realities of society. There is a search for spiritual values, meaningful values of life being contrasted with challenges to rules, hierarchy, established institutions. There is the rise of the common man competing with increased nationalism and industrialization and consequent abuses of the common man. There is a movement toward reality and realism contrasted with the idealism of Romantic thought and perceptions of beauty. There is the longing for simplicity, "noble savage," uncorrupted life contrasted with the awareness that with age and experience comes a new and different wisdom.

Task -- Select at least three 'contraries' referenced above. Find a literary example, a musical example, and a visual image from the 19th century for each side of each contrary (minimum of six examples for each medium). Your final product will be either a PowerPoint presentation or any web based program that will allow direct access to images on the web.

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Process --In a contrasting format (possibly two columns) clearly state your selected contrary. This should be brief but complete.

Provide a link to your complete literary examples.

Using your literary example as a foundation provide a list of quotes which reference each contrary. Do the same for each visual image and your musical example. Remember that style (Elements of Composition and Principals of Design) is often just as important and sometimes more important that actual content.

If possible include sound excerpts as part of your presentation. If not provide those excerpts on CD or tape.

For Example: (Only a possible example, be creative!)

Contrary I A Statement			Contrary I B Statement
Literary example (link)	Visual example (link or image)	Musical example	Literary example (link)	Visual example (link or image	Musical example
Quote and observation	Representation in the image style, content, etc.	Musical characteristic that supports concept	Quote and observation	Representation in the image style, content, etc.	Musical characteristic that supports concep
Quote and observation	Representation in the image style, content, etc.	Musical characteristic that supports concept	Quote and observation	Representation in the image style, content, etc.	Musical characteristic that supports concep
Quote and observation	Representation in the image style, content, etc.	Musical characteristic that supports concept	Quote and observation	Representation in the image style, content, etc.	Musical characteristic that supports concep

Image location needs to include complete web address, title of painting, artist, and museum or physical location of the painting.

Resources

Description                    Link

Principals and Elements of Design	Principles of Design
Study Guide	daphne.palomar.edu/mhudelson/StudyGuides/NeoCvsRomant_WA.html
Excellent Art search engine. Find what you need!	www.artcyclopedia.com/
Web Museum	http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/
Classical Compser's Archive	http://voyager.physics.unlv.edu/webpages2/picgalr2.html
Our own Home Page	ARHS Romanticism
Great Books Online	http://www.bartleby.com/index.html

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Evaluation Rubric-- Your work will be evaluated based upon the clarity of your defined contraries, the coorelation between your examples and your selected contraries, your ability to find appropriate examples of each, and the overall quality and creativity of your presentation. This will constitute 75% of your grade. You final conclusions (see below) will constitute 25% of your grade.

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Conclusion -- You now have explored a wide variety of Romantic Issues.

Explain how these apparent contraditions in fact represent the true spirit of Romanticism. Finally give an example of each contrary that exists in society today.

Your final product will be either a PowerPoint presentation or any web based program that will allow direct access to images on the web.

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