Romantic realism is an
aesthetic term that usually refers to
art combines elements of both
romanticism and
realism. Although the terms "romanticism" and "realism" have been used in varied ways, they are typically seen as opposed to one another. Romantic realists combine elements from each tradition.
Romantic realism in literature
The term has long standing in literary criticism. For example,
Joseph Conrad's relationship to romantic Realism is analyzed in Ruth M. Stauffer's 1922 book
Joseph Conrad: His Romantic Realism.
Liam O'Flaherty's relationship to romantic realism is discussed in P.F. Sheeran's book
The Novels of Liam O'Flaherty: A Study in Romantic Realism.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky is described as a romantic realist in Donald Fanger's book,
Dostoevsky and Romantic Realism: A Study of Dostoevsky in Relation to Balzac, Dickens, and Gogol.
More recently, the
writer/
philosopher Ayn Rand described herself as a romantic realist, and many followers of her
Objectivist philosophy who consider themselves artists apply this term to themselves. Rand defined romantic realism as a portrayal of things and people "as they might and ought to be." "Might be" implied realism, as contrasted with mere fantasy. "Ought to be" implied a moral vision and a standard of beauty and virtue. This combination is based on the idea that heroic values, and similar themes, are rational and realistic, as a romantic realist wouldn't believe in a necessary dichotomy between 'romanticism' and 'realism.'
According to
Theodor W. Adorno, the term "romantic realism" was used by Joseph Goebbels to define the official doctrine of the art produced in Nazi Germany, although this usage did not achieve wide currency.
Nazi art is also sometimes classified as
heroic realism. However, Ayn Rand's romantic realism differs from heroic realism in the sense that its chief aim is not to educate in the sense of
propaganda, but to project the artist's meta-physical values.
As far as both their personal interests as well as objective comparisons go, a majority of romantic realist artists are more similar to
romanticism than
realism in what they produce. Romantic realism is often considered, more or less, a
branch of romanticism.
See also
