Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that came as a reaction to the Enlightenment and the transition towards reason and objectivity. Romanticism was a rejection of the harsh realities presented by Enlightenment philosophers and instead embraced innovative and experimental art forms that played with powerful emotions. Inspiration for this creative movement, which stood as the counterpart to the "Age of Reason" which had provoked it, came from nature, personal experience and a nostalgia for the past.
Romanticism's creative shift influenced all areas of traditional culture. Music became less about structure and discipline and more about chromatic language and dominant melody. Composers such as Chopin and Liszt turned to more nationalistic forms of music. Artists sought to capture the strong emotions of the movement and began adopting the supernatural into their work. Demons and witches were used in many paintings, particularly the works of Spanish painter Francisco de Goya. Even literature aimed to contrast realism with the emotional splendor of imaginative dream worlds.
Modernism was a movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries against realism and tradition. It arose amid profound changes spurred by the Industrial Revolution, leading proponents to believe the old ways of thinking were too outdated in the emerging global world. Modernism was also characterized by a high degree of self-consciousness which further prompted artists to try abstract and experimental representations in the art and literature of the world around them. Near the end of the movement surrealism arose in art, demonstrating the epitome of modernism's rejection of the real.
The influence of modernism in culture influenced artists towards greater innovation and intellectualism. In literature, the writings of E.E. Cummings or Ted Hughes reflected great individualism and anti-realism, both largely absent in past generations. Music also experienced dramatic creative shifts as musicians developed a desire to explore new possibilities of expression. Jazz music erupted as artists such as Louis Armstrong became hugely popular with innovative musical styles. Even art featured powerful abstractions and a more fluid form long before the emergence of surrealism near the end of the movement.