The culture of the Enlightenment: features

At the end of XVII century began the age of Enlightenment, which covered all of the following XVIII century. Key features of this time were free-thinking and rationalism. A culture of the Enlightenment which gave the world new art.

Philosophy

The Whole culture of the Enlightenment was based on new philosophical ideas expressed by thinkers of the time. The main political thinkers were John Locke, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Goethe, Kant, and others. They defined the spiritual aspect of the eighteenth century (which is also called the Age of reason).

Followers of the Enlightenment believed in a few key ideas. One of them is the fact that all people are inherently equal, each person has their own interests and needs. To meet them you need to create comfort for all the dorms. Personality is not born by itself – it is formed over time due to the fact that people have physical and spiritual strength, and mind. Equality must first and foremost consist in the equality of all before the law.

The Culture of the Enlightenment – culture accessible to all knowledge. Leading thinkers believed that only through education we can end the social turmoil. This is rationalism – the recognition of reason-based behavior and knowledge of people.

In the age of Enlightenment continued debate about religion. Growing disassociation of society from rigid and conservative churches (primarily Catholic). Among educated believers spread the idea of God, as some kind of absolute mechanics that made the order originally existed in the world. Thanks to numerous scientific discoveries spread point of view that mankind could unlock all the secrets of the universe, and the mysteries and miracles in the past.

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Art Direction

In Addition to philosophy, there were artistic culture of the Enlightenment. At this time the art of the Old world consisted of two main areas. The first was the classicism. It was embodied in literature, music, visual arts. This direction is meant the following of the ancient Roman and Greek principles. Such art was distinguished by symmetry, rationality, purposefulness, and strict compliance with the form.

Within the framework of romanticism art culture of the Enlightenment responded to other requests: emotion, imagination, the creative improvisation of the artist. Often happened that in a single work, these two contrasting approaches are combined. For example, the form could correspond to the classical and content-romanticism.

Appeared, and experimental styles. An important phenomenon was born. He did not have his stylistic forms, however, it reflected the then view of human goodness and purity, which is given to people by nature. Russian artistic culture in the age of Enlightenment, as well as European, had its own vibrant works belonging to the period of sentimentalism. Such was the story of Nikolai Karamzin “Poor Liza”.

The Cult of nature

The sentimentalists have created characteristic of the Enlightenment, the cult of nature. Thinkers of the eighteenth century sought in it a sample of the beautiful and the good, what ought to strive for humanity. The embodiment of a better world was actively appearing at that time in Europe, parks and gardens. They were created as a perfect environment for a perfect people. In their composition include art galleries, libraries, museums, churches, theatres.

The Enlighteners believed that the new "natural man" needs to return to its natural state-that is, nature. According to this idea of Russian culture in the age of Enlightenment (or rather, architecture) gave to contemporaries, the Peterhof. Over its construction work of the famous architects Leblon, Zemtsov, Mustache, Quarenghi. Thanks to their efforts on the Gulf of Finland have a unique ensemble, which included a unique Park, magnificent palaces and fountains.

Painting

In painting, the artistic culture of Europe in the age of Enlightenment developed in the direction of greater secularism. The religious element was taking the position even in countries where before it felt confident enough: Austria, Italy, and Germany. Landscape painting was replaced by a landscape of mood and intimate portrait replaced the main portrait.

In the first half of the eighteenth century, the French culture of the Enlightenment gave rise to the style Rococo. Such art was based on asymmetry was mocking, playful and fanciful. Your favorite characters of artists in this direction were the bacchantes, the nymphs, Venus, Diana and other figures from classical mythology, and the main themes – love.

A Vivid example of the French Rococo – the work of françois Boucher, who was also called “first painter to the king”. He painted theatre sets, illustrations for books, paintings to wealthy houses and palaces. The most famous of his paintings: “the toilet of Venus”, “the Triumph of Venus” etc.

Antoine Watteau, on the contrary, was more addressed to modern life. Under his influence, had the largest style of English portrait painter Thomas Gainsborough. His imagesdiffered spirituality, spiritual refinement and poetry.

A Major Italian painter of the eighteenth century were Giovanni Tiepolo. The master engravings and frescoes of the critics considered the last great representative of the Venetian school. The famous shopping capital of the Republic also had Veduta – the everyday urban landscape. The most renowned creators in this genre were Francesco Guardi, and Antonio Canaletto. These cultural figures of the Enlightenment left behind a huge number of impressive images.

Theatre

The XVIII century – the Golden age of theatre. In the age of Enlightenment this form of art reached the peak of its popularity and prevalence. In England the largest was the playwright Richard Sheridan. The most famous of his works ‘Trip to Scarborough”, “School for scandal” and “Rivals” he ridiculed the immorality of the bourgeoisie.

Dynamic theatrical culture of Europe in the Enlightenment era developed in Venice, where he worked from 7 theaters. The traditional annual city carnival attracted there from all over the Old world. In Venice did the author of the famous «Traktirschika” Carlo Goldoni. This playwright, who wrote in the amount of 267 works of, respected and admired Voltaire.

The Most famous Comedy of the XVIII century became the “Marriage of Figaro", written by the great Frenchman, Beaumarchais. In this play embodied the mood of society, negative attitude to absolute monarchy of the Bourbons. A few years after the publication and first performances of Comedy in France was a revolution that overthrew the old regime.

European culture of the Enlightenment were not homogeneous. In some countries art had its own national characteristics. For example, German writers (Schiller, Goethe, Lessing) his most outstanding works written in the genre of tragedy. The theatre Education in Germany appeared several decades later than in France or England.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was not only a remarkable poet and playwright. Not without reason it is called "universal genius" - scholar and art theorist, scholar, novelist and specialist in many other areas. Its key works – tragedy "Faust" play "Egmont". Another prominent figure of the German Enlightenment, Friedrich Schiller not only wrote “Intrigue and love” and “Bandits”, but also left behind scientific and historical writings.

Fiction

A Major literary genre of the eighteenth century was the novel. Thanks to new books came the triumph of the bourgeois culture, which replaced the old feudal ideology. Actively published works are not only literary writers, but also sociologists, philosophers, economists.

The novel, as a genre, grew out of education journalism. With the help of the thinkers of the eighteenth century found a new way to Express their social and philosophical ideas. Who wrote "Travels” Jonathan swift has invested in her work many allusions to the evils of contemporary society. He wrote also belonged to “the Tale of the butterfly”. In this pamphlet swift is ridiculed then the order of the Church, and strife.

The Development of culture in the age of Enlightenment can be traced to the emergence of new literary genres. It was an epistolary novel (novel in letters). This was, for example, a sentimental piece by Johann von Goethe "the sorrows of young Werther”, in which the main character has committed suicide, and "Persian letters" Montesquieu. Appeared documentary novels in the genre of travel writing descriptions of journeys (“Journey through France and Italy” of Tobias Smollett).

In the literature, the culture of the Enlightenment in Russia followed the precepts of classicism. In the eighteenth century a number of poets, Alexander Sumarokov, Vasily Trediakovsky, Antiochus Cantemir. There were the first stirrings of sentimentalism (Karamzin already mentioned “Poor Liza” and “Natalia, the boyar's daughter”). The culture of the Enlightenment in Russia has created all the prerequisites for that already in the beginning of the new XIX century national literature, led by Pushkin, Lermontov and Gogol, experienced its Golden age.

Music

In the age of Enlightenment there was a modern musical language. Its founder is Johann Bach. This great composer wrote works in all genres (the only exception was Opera). Bach and today is considered an unsurpassed master of polyphony. Another German composer Georg Handel wrote more than 40 operas and numerous sonatas and suites. Inspiration he, like Bach, drawn from biblical stories (the characteristic titles of works: “Israel in Egypt", "Saul”, “Messiah”).

Another important musical phenomenon of the time – the Vienna school. Works its representatives continue to increase academic orchestras today, whereby modern people can touch the legacy left by culture of the enlightenment. The 18th century is associated with the names of such geniuses as Wolfgang Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven. These Viennese composers reinterpreted the old musical forms and genres.

Haydn is considered the father of classical Symphony (he wrote themmore than a hundred). Many of these works were based on folk dances and songs. The top creative Haydn is the cycle of the London symphonies, written during his trips to England. Culture of the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and any other period of human history has rarely produced such prolific artists. In addition to the symphonies, Haydn belongs to the 83 quartets, masses of 13, 20 and 52 operas, clavier sonatas.

Mozart not only wrote the music. Consummate he played the harpsichord and violin, mastered the instrument in early childhood. His operas and concerts have the different mood (from the poetic lyrics to fun). The main works of Mozart, considered to be his three symphonies, written in 1788 one the same year (number 39, 40, 41).

Another great classic, Beethoven was fond of heroic themes, which is reflected in the Overture "Egmont" of "Coriolanus" Opera "Fidelio". As a performer, he astonished his contemporaries by playing the piano. For this instrument that Beethoven had written 32 sonatas. Most of his works the composer wrote in Vienna. He also owns 10 sonatas for violin and piano (best known "Kreutzer" Sonata).

Beethoven suffered a severe creative crisis, caused by the loss of their hearing. The composer was suicidal and in despair he wrote his legendary “Moonlight" Sonata. However, even the terrible disease did not break the will of the artist. Levies of their own apathy, Beethoven wrote many symphonic works.

English Education

England was the birthplace of the European Enlightenment. In this country early in the seventeenth century, there was a bourgeois revolution that gave impetus to cultural development. England was a good example of social progress. Philosopher John Locke was one of the first and the main theorists of liberal ideas. Under the influence of his compositions were written the most important political document of the Enlightenment – the American Declaration of independence. Locke believed that human knowledge is defined by sensual perception and experience than denied before the popular philosophy of Descartes.

Another important British philosopher of the eighteenth century was David Hume. This philosopher, economist, historian, diplomat and writer has updated the science of morality. His contemporary Adam Smith was the founder of modern economic theory. The culture of the enlightenment, in short, has anticipated many modern concepts and ideas. The work of Smith was exactly that. He first equated the importance of the market to the importance of the state.

Thinkers of France

The French philosophers of the XVIII century built in the context of the opposition of the then existing social and political order. Rousseau, Diderot, Montesquieu, – they protested against domestic order. Criticism can take many forms: atheism, which is the idealization of the past (praised Republican tradition of antiquity), etc.

The Unique cultural phenomenon of the Enlightenment was the 35-volume "encyclopedia». It was the main thinkers of the “age of reason”. The mastermind and chief editor of this landmark publication was Denis Diderot. Your contribution in a separate volume made Paul Holbach, Julien La Mettrie, Claude Helvetius, and other prominent intellectuals of the eighteenth century.

Montesquieu sharply criticized the arbitrariness and despotism of the authorities. Today it is considered as the founder of bourgeois liberalism. Voltaire became an outstanding example of wit and talent. He was the author of satirical poems, philosophical novels, political treatises. Twice thinker stints in jail, once more he had to hide in the run. What Voltaire created a fashion for free-thinking and skepticism.

The German Enlightenment

The German culture of the eighteenth century there was political fragmentation of the country. Advanced minds have called for the rejection of feudal survivals and national unity. Unlike the French philosophers, German thinkers wary of the issues associated with the Church.

And Russian culture in the age of Enlightenment, the Prussian culture was formed with the direct participation of the autocratic monarch (in Russia, it was Catherine II, of Prussia-Frederick the Great). The head of state strongly supported the advanced the ideals of his time, although it did not renounce its unlimited power. A similar system called "enlightened absolutism".

The Main Educator of Germany in the XVIII century was Immanuel Kant. In 1781 he published a fundamental work "Critique of pure reason". The philosopher developed a new theory of knowledge, explored the possibilities of the human intellect. He justified the methods of struggle and forms of change social and political system, which excludes brute force. Kant made a significant contribution to the creation of the theory of the rule of law.