Western Painting - Romantic Realism - The Creative Fusion

Romantic Realism - The Concept
Romantic Realism is a relatively new style of painting, which beautifully blends the underlying philosophies of the Romanticism and the Realism. Realism was a French art movement of 1850s, where the artists believed in the near to actual representation of scenes and subjects. In effect, Realism disregarded its predecessor styles of 'idealism' and ornate portrayals, like Renaissance and Baroque. Romanticism, on the other hand, detested the idea of 'mechanical' art that concentrated on the functions of time and space, limiting the scope of creativity altogether. This genre was prevalent in the 18th century, and was the predecessor of Realism.

The Correlations
Interestingly, Realism was a 'reaction' to Romanticism and purported to symbolize its diagonal opposite. However, Realism had dual connotations - one, real life imagery and the second, actuality within the true-to-life representations. Most of the artists during the 18th and the 19th centuries had their stint with Realism, owing to its second interpretation. Post-Impressionist genius, Vincent Van Gogh's 'The Potato Eaters' is not realistically 'formed' work in true, sense, yet it deems to represent the peasantry as it was in those times. Van Gogh did not attempt to hide away the unsavory reality and coarseness from the piece, making it as realistic as it can be. This understanding of Realism left the room for its harmonization with Romanticism, instead of opposition. Romantic Realism does not use Symbolism to convey the emotional undercurrents in the painting, an aspect of the 'illusionist' understanding of Realism. In fact, the choice of subjects and their treatment define Romantic Realism.

Romantic Realist Examples
One of the most acclaimed works of the 20th century, Andrew Wyeth's 'Christina's World' has a near photographic perfection. Nevertheless, the choice of subject and the resolute action of the physically challenged girl, adds an air of poignancy to the frame. Norman Rockwell (born, 1894) is one of the best-known names in the world of Romantic Realism. His remarkable 1953 work, 'The Boy Who Put the World on Wheels' displays the uncanny ability of Henry Ford in repairing and understanding timepieces, when he was a young boy. The boy is showing a crude model of Ford's earliest designs to a blacksmith sitting on his bed. The focus of young Henry and the amazement on the blacksmith's face are sufficient elements to make this frame, a masterwork, in its own right.

The Details
As original photographs began finding place in the domain of painting, Romantic Realists also began using the camera pictures as base for their paintings. Contemporary artists use well planned photographic shots and a touchup with oil paints or watercolors to create uniquely 'speaking' paintings. They do not restrict themselves to the original color scheme and the lighting of the base. Sometimes, it is the conscious employment of raw colors and diffused outlines to add distinction to these realistically appealing pieces.

Source : Ezinearticles