Romanticism and Postromanticism

by Claudia Moscovici

Overview

Claudia Moscovici asserts in Romanticism and Postromanticism that the Romantic heritage, far from being important only in a historical sense, has philosophical relevance and value for contemporary art and culture. With an emphasis on artistic tradition as a continuing source of inspiration and innovation, she touches upon each main branch of philosophy: aesthetics, epistemology, and ethics. The book begins by describing some of the most interesting features of the Romantic movement that still fuel our culture. It then addresses the question: How did an artistic movement whose focus was emotive expression change into a quest for formal experimentation? And finally, Moscovici considers the aesthetic philosophy of postromanticism by thinking through how the Romantic emphasis upon beauty and passion can be combined with the modern and postmodern emphasis on originality and experimentation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780739116753
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	03/16/2010
Pages:	124
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Claudia Moscovici is visiting assistant professor of philosophy at the Residential College of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction: The Branches of Romanticism 1

1 A Kiss Sent by Mail: The Expression of Passion in Julie, ou La Nouvelle Héloïse 13

2 Between Two Worlds: Germaine de Staël's De l'Allemagne 27

3 Lucidity and Passion in Diderot's Aesthetics 39

4 Romantic Aesthetics: Wordsworth and Baudelaire 51

5 Aesthetics after Romanticism: On Originality, Individuality and Autonomy in Art 59

6 A Sketch of Postromanticism 73

7 The Postromantic Manifesto 93

8 Postromantic Artists (postromanticism) 99

Bibliography 113

Index 117

About the Author 123

What People are Saying About This

Marshall C. Olds

"Addressing both a revolution in esthetics and an important development
in the history of thought, Claudia Moscovici argues that in its break
from the Enlightenment, Romanticism promoted core values such as
verisimilitude, expressivity, and sensuality, that have become an
important postromantic opposition -- in our contemporary visual arts,
especially -- to Modernism and postmodernism. The discussion is fresh
and engaging."--(Marshall C. Olds, Willa Cather Professor and Professor
of Modern Languages, University of Nebraska)

Edward K. Kaplan

"Claudia Moscovici is a historian of ideas, astute reader of
literature, and sensitive interpreter of art. Her unusual, original
book, vividly written, solidly researched, is both academically sound
and passionately committed. Lucid chapters on Rousseau, Mme de Staël,
Diderot, Wordsworth and Baudelaire define the aesthetics, ethics, and
epistemology of the movement she calls postromanticism, alive today.
Exciting to read."--(Edward K. Kaplan, Kaiserman Professor in the
Humanities, Brandeis University)

William C. Carter

"In Romanticism and Postromanticism, Claudia Moscovici writes that 'art
criticism, like philosophy, like love itself, depends upon cultivating
a lucid passion.' This book, which brings a breath of fresh air to the
study of enduring themes, is the lucid, engaging result of Moscovici's
own passion for literature, philosophy, and art. And it is much more,
an enthusiastic appeal to seize the day, to live life to the fullest,
complete with a manifesto and a roster of artists who epitomize the
aspirations of the postromantic movement."--(William C. Carter,
Distinguished Professor of French, University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Editorial Reviews

Addressing both a revolution in esthetics and an important development in the history of thought, Claudia Moscovici argues that in its break from the Enlightenment, Romanticism promoted core values such as verisimilitude, expressivity, and sensuality, that have become an important postromantic opposition — in our contemporary visual arts, especially — to Modernism and postmodernism. The discussion is fresh and engaging.

Marshall C. Olds

Claudia Moscovici is a historian of ideas, astute reader of literature, and sensitive interpreter of art. Her unusual, original book, vividly written, solidly researched, is both academically sound and passionately committed. Lucid chapters on Rousseau, Mme de Staël, Diderot, Wordsworth and Baudelaire define the aesthetics, ethics, and epistemology of the movement she calls postromanticism, alive today. Exciting to read.

Edward K. Kaplan

In Romanticism and Postromanticism, Claudia Moscovici writes that "art criticism, like philosophy, like love itself, depends upon cultivating a lucid passion." This book, which brings a breath of fresh air to the study of enduring themes, is the lucid, engaging result of Moscovici's own passion for literature, philosophy, and art. And it is much more, an enthusiastic appeal to seize the day, to live life to the fullest, complete with a manifesto and a roster of artists who epitomize the aspirations of the postromantic movement.

William C. Carter