Here's a breakdown:
Individuality: They championed the uniqueness of each person, emphasizing personal experience and expression over societal norms. This was a reaction against the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason and order.
Emotion: Romanticism celebrated the power of feelings and intuition. They believed that emotions were a vital source of knowledge and inspiration, and they often explored themes of love, longing, and melancholy in their works.
Imagination: Romantic thinkers believed that imagination was the key to understanding the world and creating art. They valued the power of the mind to transcend reality and explore the realm of fantasy and dreams.
Nature: Romantic artists saw nature as a source of beauty, wonder, and spiritual inspiration. They often portrayed landscapes, animals, and natural phenomena in their works, highlighting the sublime and awe-inspiring aspects of the natural world.
Other core values:
* The sublime: A feeling of overwhelming awe and terror evoked by the vastness and power of nature, or by art that captured this feeling.
* Spontaneity: A rejection of strict rules and forms in favor of creative expression that flowed naturally from the artist's emotions and imagination.
* The Gothic: A fascination with the dark, mysterious, and macabre, often expressed through supernatural themes and imagery.
* Nationalism: A sense of pride and loyalty to one's nation, often expressed through romantic portrayals of national history and culture.
These values led to a significant shift in artistic and intellectual trends. Romanticism paved the way for new forms of art, music, literature, and philosophy, and it continues to influence artistic expression today.