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Glite Dictionary
romantic realism

romantic realism

1 7.8
A style of art and writing that mixes feeling and real-life detail
  • noun
  • /roʊˈmæntɪk ˈriːəlɪzəm/
  • Literature
translation icon : realismo romántico
  • Many artists embraced romantic realism during the 19th century.

Examples

  • Her novel blends fantasy and romantic realism, reflecting the tensions between imagination and reality.

  • Many artists in the 19th century embraced romantic realism to convey the beauty of the American wilderness.

  • The Hudson River School is famous for its romantic realism in landscapes that celebrate both nature and accuracy.

  • The painting exemplifies romantic realism beautifully.

  • The artist's latest painting showcases a beautiful landscape with shades of nature, reflecting the essence of romantic realism.

  • Many critics argue that the book's use of romantic realism brings to life the emotional struggles of its characters against a realistic backdrop.

  • In the 19th century, artists of the Hudson River School were known for their dedication to romantic realism, blending emotion with the beauty of nature.

Surface Forms

romantic realism singular
romantic realisms plural

Morphology

romantic + realism

The phrase 'romantic realism' is a direct combination of 'romantic' (emotive, imaginative) and 'realism' (depiction of real subjects), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it names an artistic style that blends Romantic qualities with realistic representation. Although historical or art-historical details (e.g. Hudson River School) go beyond B1, the core meaning is compositional and predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Romantic realism comes from art where painters showed real places but added strong feeling: imagine an artist painting a real river with careful detail (realism) yet bathing it in golden light and drama (romantic). That's why the phrase means 'mixing imagination and feeling with real detail'.