Romanticism as a cultural movement developed in Europe and America
To begin with, I proceed to explain what romanticism is: romanticism is a cultural and artistic movement that developed in Europe and America during the nineteenth century.
Fundamental principles of romanticism: freedom, individualism, democracy, idealism, nationalism and sensitivity in art. Three great events favor the appearance of romanticism: the Industrial Revolution (1760-1840) due to the rise of the bourgeoisie, machinism, proletariat, industrial capitalism and economic liberalism;consolidation of the bourgeoisie and thus the state society is replaced by the class society;Importance of the current of exaltation of freedom arising following the French Revolution (1789). In the European revolutions of 1830 and 1848 the bourgeoisie consolidates its social position. The proletariat also combines its forces channeled by socialist doctrines (1848, first communist manifesto of Marx and Engels). Growth of nationalisms. Atized in Spain for Napoleonic occupations, which develops in the villages the feeling of protection for historical, cultural and linguistic peculiarities. In 1776 the EE declaration of independence occurred. UU.. In the ideological field, the absolute empire of reason, of the rules, of classicism is called into question. With romanticism a new spirit of imagination, feeling and passion arises. The artist claims absolute freedom for his creation.
Starting with the historical context of Europe, during the development of romanticism this was suffering a stage of strong political tensions and, with it, the idea that at reason was not enough to explain that hard reality. Romanticism arose as a movement to contrast the neoclassical rationalism.
Romanticism was a very diverse current because it emphasized subjectivity and emotions. He manifested himself as a rupture of the principles of the Enlightenment (which sustained reason as the basis of all knowledge), and exalted the freedom of the individual and his intuitive capacity. Conservatives defend their privileges, but the liberals and progressive struggle to suppress them. Surgery and Freemasonry breaks through great influence. Traditional Catholic thought defends itself in the new ideas of the free thoughtors and followers of the German philosopher Karl Christian Friedrich Krause. The working class triggers anarchist and socialist sign protest movements, with strikes and attacks.
While in Europe the industry develops strongly and enriched itself culturally, Spain offers the image of a little advanced country and that is increasingly far from Europe.
This historical situation in Spain causes romanticism to appear later than in the rest of Europe. The ideological censorship during the absolutist reign of Fernando VII (1814-1833), was the cause of this backwardness and it was not until the death of the king when our romantic literature triumphed, coinciding with the return of the exiled writers.
- The nineteenth century begins in Spain with the War of Independence (1808-1814) against the Napoleonic invasion. -In 1814 the army of Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated and the absolute monarchy of Fernando VII (1814-1833) is restored;This is a repression of liberal ideals and little development of cultural life. Many intellectuals must exile to France or England and that is where the new romantic ideas that will then bring to Spain know. -From 1833 (death of Fernando VII) romanticism triumphs in Spain. The work that marks the beginning of this literary stage is "the conjuration of Venice", by Francisco Martínez de la Rosa (the work tells the struggle of the liberals against a tyrant).
- 1833: At the death of the king, we attend the regency of María Cristina (1833-1840) marked by the first Carlist war, a civil war between the supporters of the infant Carlos María Isidro de Borbón, absolutists, and those of Isabel II, liberals. The triumph will correspond to the latter.
- After the regency of Espartero (1840-43), Isabel II accesses the throne, although it will not bring peace. Tensions will continue in the second half of the century with new civil clashes and a great waste of value and energies, often sterile.
- 1868: The queen’s approach to more conservative sectors causes the outbreak of the "the glorious" liberal revolution. It can be considered that the beginnings of Spanish romanticism are the written poems around 1823 by José Joaquín de Mora, then banished in London;whom he points out as one of the three drivers of romanticism, together with Alcalá Galiano and Blanco White. The golden period of Spanish romanticism lasts until the time of publication of the famous “Don Juan Tenorio”, by José Zorrilla, appeared in 1844: but undoubtedly the essential factors of the romantic movement remain firmly rooted, and to some extent, they manifest ina good part of the posterior literature.
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