Theodore Gericault on His Argument on Genius and Academies

This week we finished up chapter 6 and its discussion of Romanticism and its philosophical ideas. The week before we looked at the Enlightenment. The artists and writers from each of these movements had a great deal to say about the study and practice of art making. The Enlightenment championed the structure of set rules and ideas put forth to students in art academies, while Romantic thinkers put a premium on inherent artistic genius that could not be learned in school.

To earn points for this week's discussion, complete the following:

read the artist Gericault's opinion on art academies - Gericault.pdfPreview the document

review Chapter 6 of our text and The Invention of Art I and II PPTs, paying special attention to the conversations about the study of art

in a well-edited paragraph, state whether or not you agree with Gericault's assessment of art schools. Make an argument for either the structured approach of the Enlightenment OR the subjective experience of an inherent genius from the Romantic movement. Be sure to cite at least one philosopher in Ch. 6 to back up your points.