Asher Period 3 Team 2 Synthesis.

The works of romanticist artists were undoubtedly much more secular and attached to the common everyday man than those of previous periods. These works also showed trademark romanticist signs, often examining the aesthetic beauty of nature. Perhaps one of the best artists to examine from this period is Francisco de Goya. Denied entry from the Spanish Royal Academy of Fine Art, he worked tirelessly and due to sheer luck, Spanish monarchs noticed his work gave him access to the royal court. De Goya’s background shows clearly that his influence would be that of a common man, his work would demonstrate the shift towards secularism. One example of this secular representation of man is clear in his work, “The Third of May”. This work depicts the execution of Spanish rebels along with innocent bystanders. The stark black sky almost guarantees the viewer that no deity resides in the world of this image. This is undoubtedly a human event, and although the painting does not showcase nature in the usual sense, it showcases raw human nature, without the veil of religion. This darkness is common in many of Goya’s paintings, and is a much more powerful method to examine secularism and man. The subject matter and style of these paintings showcase secularism and man, with a clear absence of god.