’The Temptation Of Death’-Another Aesthetic Orientation Of Romantism

When it comes to the aesthetic characteristics of romanticism,an unavoidable keyword is "morbid",and the most suitable one for its pathological aesthetic is the extremely special cultural phenomenon of this period-the romanticization of tuberculosis.Its most prominent feature is a universal worship of tuberculosis.This is not a simple phenomenon that can be explained by curiosity or ignorant thinking,but rather implies a deeper connection with the times and environment.This article focuses on Europe in the 19 th century and discusses the romanticization of tuberculosis as the core.Firstly,from a socio-cultural perspective,this article outlines the emergence and development process of romanticism,emphasizing the necessity of "romanticism" at this time.Then,taking Turner,Friedrich,and Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood as examples,it explains how "romanticism" is applied to Romantic rhetoric,as well as the emphasis of "romanticism" on the spirit and value ideals of romanticism.Then,starting from the motivation of romantic aesthetics,the trend of tuberculosis was analyzed from two aspects: personality and image.In terms of personality,the process and reasons for tuberculosis being romanticized as an "artist’s disease" were analyzed,as well as the role played by melancholic temperament in it;In terms of image,this paper discusses how tuberculosis has become the ideal image of women in the 19 th century,with the drawing of Watteau and Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood as the guide.The second half of the article starts from the relationship between individuals and society,and continues to delve deeper into the Romantic attitude towards the city,rationality,and death.It lists many similarities between the tuberculosis trend and Romanticism:the treatment method is to seek isolation travel away from the city and nature,the consumption intention is to deviate from rational free will,and the beautification of death is personal redemption under social anxiety.The above three points all express the contemporary demands implied by the tuberculosis metaphor from a more internal perspective,which is essentially the same as the demands of romanticism.