Smarthistory Logo
  • About
      • ABOUT SMARTHISTORY
      • What is Smarthistory?
      • Is Smarthistory reliable?
      • Smarthistory Staff
      • Content editors and contributors
      • Board of Trustees and Board of Advisors
      • Museum and institutional partners
      • Major donors
      • Press coverage
      • Our blog
      • Contribute an essay
      • Contact us

      • We believe art has the power to transform lives and to build understanding across cultures. The brilliant histories of art belong to everyone, no matter their background.

        With 503 contributors from 201 colleges, universities, museums, and research centers, Smarthistory is the most-visited art history resource in the world.

  • For Learning
      • ART HISTORIES
      • Start here
      • Prehistoric
      • Africa
      • Americas
      • Asia
      • Ancient Mediterranean + Europe
      • Medieval Europe + Byzantine
      • The Islamic World
      • Europe 1300–1800
      • Europe 1800–1900
      • Pacific Islands
      • Modernisms 1900–1980
      • Art since 1980
  • Books
      • SMARTHISTORY BOOKS
      • Reframing Art History, a new kind of textbook
      • Guide to Byzantine Art
      • Guide to Ancient Roman Art
      • Guide to AP® Art History vol. 1 (#1–47)
      • Guide to AP® Art History vol. 2 (#48–98)
      • Guide to AP® Art History vol. 3 (#99–152)
      • See complete collection of titles
      • NEW TITLES
        • reframing art history cover smReframing Art History
          a new kind of textbook
        • Byzantine cover jpgGuide to Byzantine art
  • Curated Guides
      • THE BASICS
      • The Basics of Art History
      • The Basics of Religion in Art
      • SYLLABI
      • Art Appreciation (new, more complete version coming soon)
      • AP®︎ Art History
      • A-level History of Art
      • Early Modern Art (c. 1400–1800)
      • World Art History
      • Prehistory to the Middle Ages: the Mediterranean
      • Renaissance to the Modern Era: Europe
      • Medieval and Byzantine Art and Architecture
      • Ancient Greek Art and Architecture
      • 19th-Century European Art
      • History of Photography
      • Modern Art
      • Global Contemporary Art
      • THEMATIC SERIES
      • Understanding Museums
      • Creating and Conserving
      • Art in Flanders
      • Latinx Futures
      • Not your grandfather’s art history
      • ARCHES (At-Risk Cultural Heritage Series)
      • The U.S. Civil War in Art
      • Seeing America
  • Support
      • SUPPORT SMARTHISTORY
      • Donate
      • Contribute an essay

      • We created Smarthistory to provide students around the world with the highest-quality educational resources for art and cultural heritage—for free.

  • Search
Romanticism

Romanticism: A beginner’s guide

Nightmares, violence, and awe-inspiring landscapes—no wonder we're still fascinated by Romanticism.

c. 1800 - 1848

A beginner's guide to Romanticism

Romanticism: A beginner’s guide

By Dr. Beth Harris, Dr. Steven Zucker

...

Learn more

Orientalism

Romanticism: A beginner’s guide

By Dr. Nancy Demerdash

...

Learn more

Your donations help make art history free and accessible to everyone!

Donate Arrow pointing to the right
Smarthistory Logo

Smarthistory® believes art has the power to transform lives and to build understanding across cultures. The brilliant histories of art belong to everyone, no matter their background. Smarthistory’s free, award-winning digital content unlocks the expertise of hundreds of leading scholars, making the history of art accessible and engaging to more people, in more places, than any other publisher.

  • About Smarthistory
  • Smarthistory's blog
  • Contribute an essay
  • Content editors and contributors
  • Contact Us
  • Donate

Download free images

Subscribe to our channel

Connect with us

Connect with us

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2025 Smarthistory
creative commons cc icon creative commons cc icon creative commons cc icon creative commons cc icon