How are romanticism and surrealism related?

Question

Historically, artistically, literarily? How are these two moments related?

Answer 1

They are not related in any form. Romanticism.

Romanticism is a complex artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Industrial Revolution.[1] It was partly a revolt against aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment and a reaction against the scientific rationalization of nature, and was embodied most strongly in the visual arts, music, and literature.

Surrealism[1] is a cultural movement that began in the early-1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members. The works feature the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions and non sequitur, however many Surrealist artists and writers regard their work as an expression of the philosophical movement first and foremost with the works being an artifact, and leader André Breton was explicit in his assertion that Surrealism was above all a revolutionary movement. From the Dada activities of World War I Surrealism was formed with the most important center of the movement in Paris and from the 1920s spreading around the globe, eventually affecting films such as Angel's Egg and El Topo, amongst others.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki romanticism /Surrealism

Answer 2

It would not be a good idea to relate surrealism with other art movements in any way, I think.

This is because surrealism evolved from an earlier movement called dadaism. Dadaism was a completely absurd art movement. It began in France around World War 1, and threw away all the conventions, rules, and standards of all known art movements. It was literally anarchy. Its proponents reasoned that dadaism needed not have any rules coz the world itself has gone mad (referring to the world war). Its poets cursed and spoke obscene things and passed themselves off as artists. Its artists painted completely nonsensical things, reasoning that their works are the raw products of their imaginations and dreams.

However, its people soon realized that dadaism carried within it the seeds of its own destruction, and realized the need to channel their raw energies into something meaningful and productive. This is the point where surrealism was born. Its founder was French poet Andre Breton.

Since it began from dadaism, which rebelled against all other art movements, surrealism's relationship with other art movements may be very difficult to establish, say with Romanticism.