Romantic
Neoclassicism v. Romanticism
At first glance, one might be hard-pressed to observe that the two works of art presently in question actually depict similar subjects. In the pieces presented side-by-side here, the beholder sees that the central figure in both is a man in a bed. Indeed, if one was asked to guess the subject, it might not be far off to deduce that each depicts the very same moment in which the great philosopher Socrates conceded to his own execution by the ingestion of poison. That said, the similarities end there as each of the two works is eminently more evocative of its own artistic movement than of the subject itself. Indeed, the image on the left carries a distinctive romanticism that sets it apart from the neo-classicism on display in the right-handed image.
What stands out as a clear distinction from the outset is the degree to which the image on the right is more directly grounded...
. from passion to insanity" ('the Eighteenth Century," Internet). These "sublime" qualities are best expressed in Horace Walpole's magnificent Strawberry Hill residence in Twickenham, built between 1749 and 1777. As compared to Blenheim Palace, this structure is pure "Gothick" with its turrets, towers, battlements, galleries and corridors. In fact, Horace Walpole is credited with creating the Gothic style in English literature with his novel the Castle of Otranto, published in 1764. Of
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