Romanticism - 18-19c.

Romanticism is an artistic and intellectual movement originating in Europe in the late 18th century and characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on the individual's expression of emotion and imagination, departure from the attitudes and forms of classicism, and rebellion against established social rules and conventions.

J. M. W. Turner  "The Fighting Téméraire"     

Although the movement was rooted in the German Sturm und Drangmovement, which prized intuition and emotion over Enlightenment rationalism, the ideologies and events of the French Revolution laid the background from which both Romanticism and the Counter-Enlightenment emerged.  The concept of the genius, or artist who was able to produce his own original work through this process of "creation from nothingness", is key to Romanticism, and to be derivative was the worst sin. This idea is often called "romantic originality." Not essential to Romanticism, but so widespread as to be normative, was a strong belief and interest in the importance of nature. 

   However this is particularly in the effect of nature upon the artist when he is surrounded by it, preferably alone. In contrast to the usually very social art of the Enlightenment, Romantics were distrustful of the human world, and tended to believe that a close connection with nature was mentally and morally healthy. Romantic art addressed its audiences directly and personally with what was intended to be felt as the personal voice of the artist. Romanticism first showed itself in landscape painting, where from as early as the 1760s British artists began to turn to wilder landscapes and storms, and Gothic architecture, even if they had to make do with Wales as a setting.

   FranciscoGoya is today generally regarded as the greatest painter of the Romantic period; there were also Eugène Delacroix, J.M.W. Turner, Thomas Cole, and LouisJanmot who worked in this manner.