Romantic era sculpture.
The ideas of romanticism in a characteristic, in a romantic form was best expressed by the Frenchman François RUDE (1784—1855), and its relief La Marseillaise, adorning from. 1832 The Arc de Triomphe in Paris' Star Square, to this day, it is considered the flagship work of Romantic sculpture. Although the figures of revolutionaries (as in David's Oath of Huratian, which is nearly fifty years older) they appear in ancient costumes, however, a violent movement of the composition, relentless forward momentum, dramatic gestures and expressiveness of facial expressions, and, moreover, the symbolism of the personification of France placed at the top of the composition in the form of a woman leading the people to battle, in general contrast, "painting" modeling of the whole - testify to the full victory of the idea of Romanticism in the work of Rude.
In French art, close to Romanticism, mainly through the "painting" modeling of his works and his keen interest in the present, jest PIERRE JEAN DAVID DANGERS (1788—1856), creator of a number of portrait busts of outstanding personalities, among them Poles: Mickiewicz, Lelewel and Niemcewicz.
Polish sculpture of the Romantic period did not create works of great magnitude to match the earlier statues of Le Brun or later Dunikowski. During this period, classicism still prevailed, but in an academic form, ossified, as evidenced by the many statues in churches and cemeteries. However, there were several more outstanding artists, vigilantly observing contemporary European sculpture and gaining a more personal expression in their work. In their works, classicistic features are combined with romantic ones, as well as realistic. WŁADYSŁAW OLESZCZYNSKI is one of them (1807—1866), author m. in. Mickiewicz monument in Poznań, erected in. 1857, and the sculptural group Reception of Emigrants in France, in which he tried to reconcile classical requirements with a romantic sense of national distinctiveness (the figure of France is presented allegorically, but Poles are dressed in national costumes). In the tombstone of Juliusz Słowacki sculpted by Oleszczyński in the Parisian cemetery, a medallion with an almost realistic portrait of the bard is complemented by poetic attributes: books, lira, owl, dynamically composed, in accordance with the requirements of Romanticism.
CYPRIAN GODEBSKI, much younger than Oleszczyński and acting later, also gained considerable popularity (1835—1909), whose most famous work is the monument to Mickiewicz in Warsaw, erected in the years 1888—1896.
The analysis of this work allows us to trace the intersection of the influences of classicism with romanticism and realism. Calmness and haughtiness in the poet's attitude are features of classicist art. The restless breakdown of the composition of the sculpture speaks of Romanticism, just like the expressive gesture of the hand placed on the heart of the creator of the famous call: "Have a heart and look into the heart". Finally, the meticulous elaboration of the poet's facial features and the successfully realized intention to bring out the depth of psychological expression link Godebski's work with the tendencies of realistic art..
Godebski owes his international popularity mainly to the monument to the Romantic poet Teofil Gautier in the Montmartre district of Paris and to the busts of famous musicians in the Brussels Conservatory.