He was an artist, and what he was, he was only through music.” —Immortal Beloved

Everyone’s life should feel like a sculpted work of art, and self-destiny is the name of the game. Those who seek exaltation by living means, will wish to experience and express it through every physical sense and their guiding power: the deepest, clearest, most tenaciously earned understandings and resultant emotions. Man needs to bring the deepest meaning of his life as well as his most profound and passionate expression towards it, into his immediate perceptual awareness. Since his struggle in the pursuit of values is lifelong, he needs regular spans of time where he can experience a sense of completion—the reward of his values having been achieved. Romantic art satisfies this desire. It shares the feeling of his goal’s actualization, and the experience serves as fuel to carry him further. The intention of romantic art is to uphold Man’s highest, to show him the reward for his climb—for his sparkling rationality, bravery and determination in the quest of life—meaning natural, organic life. Romanticism is a field of pure rewards for a life of challenge—the challenges of Self-made Man.

Imagine flipping through a magazine in a waiting room, and coming across a picture that you can’t take your eyes off. You may not know why, but you are drawn back to it again and again, until you have to cut it out and take it with you. That is the response provoked by the best of art; it extracts a deep personal meaning; a fascination with the emotions and attraction it conjures. Romanticism is a sanctuary for the best within us—where the results of our excruciating effort are loved, encouraged and fostered. It reflects the gratificationin living effort. The realm of romanticism is the projection of rational, reachable human ideals, stylizing every facet of Man and existence, every kind of thought, every shade of emotion, every shape of detail and the grace in action of all living things—whose subject matter is inexhaustible.

Every art form isolates a limited number of physical senses, eliciting cognitive stimulation and appreciation for the depth and range of each. Painting enhances vision, music enhances hearing, yet all streamline and stylize cognition. They are a treat for every sense they affect—a wonderful reward and guide for their correct use, making sensate perception a pleasure, honing in on the very joy of living. The most significant works of art convey the purest, cleanest motivations and share with us their deference for Man.