Watch The Romantic Revolution

The Romantic Revolution is a captivating 3-part documentary series from BBC Select that explores the birth of the Romantic movement and how it transformed the artistic, cultural and political landscapes of Europe during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The series begins by introducing the viewer to the key figures of the Romantic movement such as William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley, John Keats, and Lord Byron. Each of these writers and poets changed the course of literary history with their revolutionary ideas and styles, which embraced nature, individualism, passion, and emotion.

The first episode of the series takes a closer look at the social and political context in which the Romantic movement emerged. It explores the impact of the Industrial Revolution, the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars and the Enlightenment on the cultural and intellectual life of Europe. It also shows how the decline of religion and the rise of science and reason led to a new understanding of human nature and individuality, which was expressed through the art, literature and philosophy of the Romantic era.

The second episode of the series delves deeper into the literary and artistic innovations of the Romantic movement. It explores how Wordsworth and Coleridge's Lyrical Ballads set the stage for a new kind of poetry that was more accessible and emotional, and how their ideas about nature, the imagination, and the supernatural influenced the work of other Romantic poets, such as Keats and Shelley. It also features the work of Romantic painters such as J.M.W. Turner and Caspar David Friedrich, who captured the sublime and the mystical in their landscapes and seascapes.

The final episode of the series focuses on the legacy of the Romantic movement and its impact on the society and culture of the 21st century. It examines how Romantic ideas about individualism, creativity, and the imagination influenced later literary movements such as Symbolism and Surrealism, and how they continue to shape contemporary art and culture. The episode also shows how Romanticism inspired political movements such as nationalism, liberalism, and socialism, and how it challenged traditional gender roles and offered new visions of love, marriage, and sexuality.

Throughout the series, the viewer is treated to stunning visuals of the landscapes, art, and architecture of the Romantic era, as well as some of the most famous poems and literary works of the time, read by actors such as Simon Russell Beale and Fiona Shaw. The series is narrated by the acclaimed British actor and writer, Simon Callow, who brings his passion for the era and his deep understanding of the subject to every aspect of the program.

In conclusion, The Romantic Revolution is a must-watch series for anyone interested in art, literature, philosophy, and history. It offers a comprehensive and engaging exploration of one of the most exciting and transformative periods in cultural history, and reminds us of the enduring relevance and power of the Romantic ideals of individual freedom, artistic expression, and human imagination.

The Romantic Revolution is a series that ran for 1 seasons (3 episodes) between September 10, 2020 and on BBC Select