Literature and Art - AP European History

Romanticism was an art form that rose to prominence in Europe from the early to mid 19th century.

Romantic artwork emphasized capturing intense emotions such as shock, terror, and awe.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky is one of the two most important Russian literary figures of the 20th century, the other being Leo Tolstoy. Dostoyevsky wrote philosophical and psychological novels that explored themes of faith, duty, country, love, depression, grief, and family, among others. His two most famous works are The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment.

Claude Monet was an impressionist painter who painted many famous and important works in 19th century France. He is widely considered the father of Impressionism, and is not to be confused with Édouard Manet

One of, perhaps the, most famous Russian author of all time, Leo Tolstoy wrote in the 20th century. His most famous works include War and Peace and Anna Karenina.

One of the most important writers of the 20th century, Vladimir Nabokov pushed the boundaries of not only what was socially acceptable, but what readers could handle. His novel Lolita features a chilling look at a sexual deviant's abduction and subsequent relationship with a pre-teenage girl.

Voltaire was a French author, so he would not be a good choice here. Samuel Taylor Coleridge was a poet and did not write novels, so he would not be a good choice here. Byron and Percy Shelley were friends and moved in the same circles, although they did not write the novel in question, so they would not be good answers. Lastly, Mary Shelley is the author of Frankenstein (1818), and although she initially published anonymously she is widely credited as the author, so she would be the best choice.

Geoffrey Chaucer famously wrote the Canterbury Tales, so he would be the best answer here. Percy Shelley and Byron were both English authors, but they lived centuries after the publishing of the book in question, so they would not be good answer choices. Samuel Taylor Coleridge was English but he wrote primarily poems, so he would not be the best choice. Lastly, Moliere was a French playwright, so he would not be the best answer here.

The Odyssey and The Iliad are two famous epics written down from the oral tradition of Homer. The epic poems tell the tale of the Trojan War and the return home of Odysseus from this war. The were among the foundations of both archaic and classical panhellenism ("all Greece"). The peninsula of Greece was, at this time, not a nation-state (nation-states did not, strictly speaking, exist at this time in history), but a collection of city-states, united by a common language and by large-scale common cultural practices (The Olympic Games, Homer, the ritual recognition of the gods of Olympus). Greek city-states were yet still quite distinct culturally, socially, and politically when seen up-close.

Charles Dickens was by far the most well-known and widely read novelist of the Victorian period in Great Britain, to the point that he was a celebrity on par with any other figure of the time. His work was not just popular among the masses, but also largely about them, as his work featured intriguing characters, descriptions of familiar themes and people, the city of London, and a serialized format of each chapter being published separately in installments. One trend from previous writers that Dickens did not continue was a reliance on complicated classical references.

The Renaissance represented a revival of Greco-Roman culture, and therefore its art began to reflect classical art and themes, including myths. Nevertheless, religious themes continued to be popular in art. During the Renaissance, the status of the artist increased greatly: individuals such as Michelangelo were widely revered for their artistic genius. Additionally, individual patrons more frequently began to commission art (most famously, the Medici family in Florence); the portrait became a more common genre; and even religious paintings often portrayed the patron and his family. Note that during the Renaissance, the human body began to be depicted in a more naturalistic manner, and was typically glorified. Consider, for example, Michelangelo’s David.

Voltaire was an Enlightenment-era philosopher most famous for his ardent defense of freedom of religion and freedom of speech. He clashed frequently with the authorities in France, but was widely influential across Europe. His most famous work, Candide, was published in 1759. It is a satirical attack on religion in Europe and mocks the established political order of the time period.

Members of a French exploratory voyage to South America in the sixteenth century encountered cannibalistic people living in the Amazon, and a few of them were even brought back to Europe by the expedition. The group was widely sensationalized, but Montaigne’s first-hand experience led him to believe that these people were far less savage and barbaric than the European people around him. In Of Cannibals, he reverses the Eurocentric view of social progress and compares the lives of the cannibals with the barbaric conditions of European society to suggest that the Europeans were the real savages.

In Praise of Folly was published the first decade of the sixteenth century by the Dutch humanist Erasmus. Although Erasmus remained an ardent Catholic his whole life and never fully embraced the Protestant Reformation, he was nonetheless dissatisfied with the corruption and abuses that he saw within the church. In Praise of Folly is a scathing attack on these corruptions. It is sometimes credited with helping to lay the foundations for the Protestant Reformation.

Raphael’s The School of Athens is one of the most famous and influential artistic works of the Renaissance period. It depicts the classical Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato holding court at the school of Athens and is widely understood to be a celebration and exaltation of the values and accomplishments of the classical period, particularly ancient and classical Greece.

The Baroque movement emerged in popularity in the seventeenth century and was supported by both the Papacy and the European aristocracy. It employs exaggerated motion and dramatic detail to create a style of art meant to seem both impressive and imposing. It was widely employed by the aristocracy to create artistic and architectural works that were meant to express power and control. The Palace of Versailles is one such example.

Charles Dickens is probably the most famous writer of the Victorian period of British history. His writings coincided with the Industrial Revolution and often focused on portraying social injustices and the arduous lives of the British working class. Famous works by Charles Dickens include Oliver Twist and Hard Times.

Impressionism as an artistic movement emerged in the nineteenth century and was particularly influential in France. All of these individuals were notable impressionists, and Monet is often referred to as the original impressionist. Impressionism focuses on ordinary subject matter, and the use of light. It was initially widely criticized by artistic experts in French and European society for being unrealistic and crude, but it soon gained overwhelming popularity as it spread around the world.

Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness was published in 1899 and is one of the most influential works in the English language. The book deals with European ideals of what constitutes barbarism and the right to call oneself “civilized” by exploring the harsh reality of European imperialism on the African continent. Conrad is sharply critical of the racial motivations behind European imperialism.

Persian Letters was published in 1721 by the Enlightenment philosopher Charles de Montesquieu. It employs the perspective of two travellers from the Near East who are visiting France and observing French society. It critiques the nature of French society and Christianity.