Advanced Placement (AP) European History Practice Exam

Which of the following was a significant factor that influenced Romantic artists and thinkers?

1. Industrial progress and technology

2. Reaction against the industrial revolution

3. Strict adherence to classical forms

4. The promotion of scientific rationality

The correct answer is: Reaction against the industrial revolution

The significant factor that influenced Romantic artists and thinkers was indeed a reaction against the Industrial Revolution. The Romantic movement, which emerged in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, arose as a counter-response to the rapid industrialization that was transforming society. This period saw profound changes in technology, social structures, and urban life, which many Romantics viewed with skepticism or outright disdain. Romantic artists and thinkers valued emotion, nature, and the individual experience, often looking back to the beauty and simplicity of the natural world as a refuge from the grim realities of industrial life. They emphasized intuition and personal connection to nature, often expressing their idealization of rural life, folklore, and the medieval past. This focus on emotion and the sublime in nature was a direct challenge to the dehumanizing effects of industrial progress and the prioritization of rationality and scientific thought that characterized the Enlightenment and the emerging modern age. This reaction forged a rich cultural legacy, leading to the creation of works that celebrated individualism, artistic freedom, and a deep appreciation for nature, contrasting sharply with the mechanistic views of the world brought about by industrialization.