The eras of classicism and Enlightenment, which dominated philosophy, literature and art for two centuries, ended with the French bourgeois revolution, whose progressive ideas quickly degenerated into bloody terror, executions, and ideological impatience. The answer to such tangible contradictions between lofty ideas and the very unsightly reality that they gave rise to was the emergence of a very vast and comprehensive cultural phenomenon - romanticism - the latter in its scope and depth of ideas in the history of art, which found its vivid expression in literature, music and painting .
Romanticism in literature and art became the highest point of the ideas of humanism that appeared back in the Renaissance. It was then that close attention to the earthly man arose, with his shortcomings and weaknesses, he became the center of the universe, the measure of all things. The results of bourgeois revolutions, which generated sharp contradictions in the minds of young people and showed the complete failure of the ideas of the Enlightenment, made us again pay attention to the inner world of the individual, to his originality and depth, rejecting the rational socio-political ideas of universal harmony and prosperity.
Romanticism in literature and art, the world around a person was represented as a mystery and a riddle, which can only be understood by feelings, emotions and heart. Rational reality is replaced by fantastic worlds that cannot be cognized by the mind. Only strong feelings are able to withstand the world, and in strength and depth they are just as powerful as the Universe.
A romantic hero always boldly challenges the world around him, he is well aware of his exclusivity, is proud of it, while realizing that his death is inevitable, because he is in conflict not with individuals or social circumstances, but with the whole Universe. Romanticism in literature and art deeply and with great love depicts the inner world of the hero, his strong emotional experiences. Moreover, these experiences are endless, because romantic heroes are a tight ball of contradictions. In rebelling against an imperfect world, some of them rush up, trying to achieve perfection equal to God, while others, on the contrary, plunge into the frightening depths of evil and vice.
Romanticism in literature builds art space in the same way . Some romantic writers are trying to find the ideal in the Middle Ages, there they see a cleaner and more clear time, others design utopias, creating ideal models for the future. But all of them are trying to get away from the present, where there is nothing but a miserable bourgeois reality.
Romanticism in literature became the founder of new forms and formulated new tasks that remain relevant today. Romantic writers created new content, proposed new artistic images, where the main thing is rebellion against dullness and everyday life, and the hero turns into a whole and harmonious person, comprehending and embracing with his unusual and powerful personality not only the laws of earthly existence, but also heavenly ideals.
Romanticism in art and literature formed the principles of nationality and historicism, which became fundamental in the further development of art. Another interesting undertaking in this direction was the theory of romantic irony, formulated by the theorist, German philosopher F. Schlegel. He proclaimed the great role of art as a perfect tool for knowing and transforming the world, respectively, the artists of romanticism are great creators equal to God. But it was also clear that any, even the most talented artist, is only a man, and his view of the world is subjective and limited. The theory of romantic irony was the answer to this contradiction between the ideal in romantic art and reality. Schlegel argued that irony must be present in the artist’s view not only on the world around him, but also on himself, on the creative process and on its result. Thus, the creator admits his imperfection and impossibility to create an ideal, as he is unable to solve the riddle of the world and the universe.