Common People

• Folklore fueled the popular imagination and fostered a belief that common people had the capacity to create art, literature and music that could equal that of the educated artists of the time. A return to simplicity and nature overthrew the rationality of the Enlightenment. The established academic format of classical mythology and religious subjects was rejected. Artists drew heavily upon the experiences of everyday life and people for inspiration.
  
  

European Heritage

• A new form of literature laden with emotion and exoticism emerged during the romantic period. Gothic romance influenced the visual arts, music and theater. Instead of looking back to the classical Greek and Roman influences, the Romanticists focused upon the accomplishments of Europeans between the 12th and 14th centuries. Exotic settings were filled with sensual description and were emotionally charged, paying little attention to mundane reality and philosophy. These themes live on today in the tales of Robin Hood and King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
  
  

Individualism

• The idea that an individual could be more than his heritage dictated was a new concept of the Romantic period, and one of its most important developments. As capitalism spread across Europe it opened doors for people to move from a lower status to a higher one through commerce. These bold new realities were reflected in art and literature. The romantic hero was brash, willing to rebel and stand up to superior force on the grounds of his own personal beliefs. The idea that each individual had something unique to express found footing in literature and art. Self expression was, for the first time, accepted as a valid alternative to the structured establishments of religion and philosophy.
  
  

Nature

• European societies through history viewed nature as a force to be overcome and ultimately dominated. The Romantic period marked a return to nature as an idealized form. Until the Romantic period artists had very little interest in natural themes such as landscapes. During the Romantic period nature was re-evaluated and given mystical status. Most of our modern ideas about nature, such as placid lakes, enchanting forests and inspirational mountain landscapes, come from the romantic period.