Lake District as a Romantic Subject in the Work of Wordsworth and Turner

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To really put Wordsworth and Turner into context it is interesting to read An extract from an unsigned review of Robert Southey’s Thalaba, 1802 by Francis Jeffrey (Anthology II, p71-73). This passage emphasises how groundbreaking Wordsworth and Turner were. In the passage, Jeffrey refers to the ‘sect of poets’ but it could easily encompass Turner too, and says ‘they are dissenters from the established systems in poetry and criticism’.

He criticises ‘The antisocial principles, and distempered sensibility of Rousseau – his discontent with the present constitution of society – his paradoxical morality, and his hankerings after some unattainable state of voluptuous virtue and perfection.’ (Anthology II, p72) Jeffrey also stated that ‘Their most distinguishing symbol, is undoubtedly an affectation of great simplicity and familiarity of language. They disdain to make use of the common poetical phraseology, or to ennoble their diction by a selection of fine or dignified expressions.’ (Anthology II, p72) This jarring criticism of Wordsworth’s simple language can also be applied to Turner since both abandoned classical and grandiose allusions from their works. The passage was written in 1802 so can stand as a good primary example of some of the backlash of criticism that Wordsworth and Turner received throughout their lives, and is proof of how their work was pioneering away from tradition.

Wordsworth and Turner illustrate the Romantic shift towards the importance of the artist’s imagination on their subject. Both sought individuality in their work and identity as artists. In terms of their portrayal of the Lake District, Turner was more deliberate since his work was more dramatic. This is a notable shift since it predates the development of photography when Academic art was threatened by another method of capturing likeness, and it is converse to the Enlightenment idea of capturing truth over beauty.

Wordsworth and Turner highlight the difficulties in categorising artists during the Enlightenment and Romantic period, and although we can largely call them Romantic artists they illustrate how different and individual Romantic artists could be even when they were inspired by the same place such as the Lake District.

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Bibliography

Donnachie, Ian, and Lavin, Carmen, (2007), From Enlightenment to Romanticism: Anthology II, Manchester University Press, William Wordsworth, Reading (B) The ‘visual interest’ of the mountains, pp 91-93

Donnachie, Ian, and Lavin, Carmen, (2007), From Enlightenment to Romanticism: Anthology II, Manchester University Press, Francis Jeffrey, extract from an unsigned review of Robert Southey’s Thalaba, 1802, pp 71-73

Walsh, Linda, Wilkinson, Robert (2005), Block 4 Industry and Changing Landscapes, Gutenberg Press

The Open University (2005), Illustrations Book, Nicholson & Bass Ltd., Buttermere Lake, with part of Cromackwater, Cumberland, a Shower (Plate 17.9, p73)