Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice of subject nor in exact truth, but in a way of feeling. – Charles Baudelaire, 1846
The Romantics of nearly two centuries ago created works of such considerable diversity that the only clear similarities lay in their emphasis on originality, imagination and deep emotional content. Ranging from expressive portraits to epic landscapes and vivid depictions of nature, these artists sought to push back against the reasoned order of the Enlightenment by producing emotionally charged works that spoke to their intensely individual perspectives.
Today a new Romanticism is emerging among artists who prize individual expression and authentic emotion over Postmodern sterility. These new Romantics are as varied in subject and style as their predecessors, and as equally unapologetic in their pursuit of emotional truth. Their work implicitly asserts a restoration of the Romantic ideal that artists are gifted and singular purveyors of original thought. Inspired and informed by the spirit of Romanticism, the artists of The New Romantics comprise an expansive visual trove of emotion and awe, each one both individually conspicuous and collectively harmonious.