My+Sublime+Case+Study


 * Sublime Case Study**

What is the sublime?
The sublime is a mood of awe, terror, pleasure, and fear that is inspired by natural beauty.

Examples of the sublime in 18th century Romanticism:
One example of the sublime is a painting that we see almost every day during this unit, the one on the cover of __Frankenstein.__ "The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog" by Caspar David Friedrich. (From [|this page])

"The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog" depicts a man standing at the top of a high mountain, looking out over a fog covered valley. The fact that the man has his back to us, and the fog, gives the painting a sense of mystery. The man seems to be pondering some topic deeply. There is a feeling of awe in this painting, partially because he is dressed like he should be strolling in the park, not climbing up tall mountains, and also because he can see into the distance, but the fog obstructs a lot of what is below.

"Eruption du Vesuve" (Eruption of Vesuvius) by Joseph Mallord William Turner.

This painting represents the sublime because it gives a feeling of awe and fear. Mount Vesuvius takes up most of the painting and is the focus, spewing lava and ash, which is already impressive, but if you stand back and look at the whole painting, you get an impression of the scale of the eruption. You can see the town on the shore of the lake, already covered in ash, and the people trying to get away, and in comparison, they look tiny. Also, there are some boats in the far right trying to get away, and you can see one that is sinking. A painting of Moby Dick and the sailors (From [|here]) There are many examples of the sublime used in literature. __Moby Dick__ by Herman Melville is one of these. Moby Dick is the great white whale, a monster in the eyes of Captain Ahab. Moby Dick provokes a feeling of terror as well as a feeling of awe. Captain Ahab hates Moby Dick very much, mostly because he has been injured by the whale, and fears it. However, the whale is also held in awe by sailors, because of its reputation and the myths about it. In this painting of Moby Dick, you get an idea of the scale of the whale, and the water streaming off of it and splashing around is just awe-inspiring. Also, the sailors in the boat are furiously rowing trying to get away, and you can see how frightened they are.

Modern examples of the sublime:
A view of the Grand Canyon. (From [|here]) This view of the Grand Canyon is an example of the sublime because it shows how big it really is. You can see all the cliffs into the distance, and there is a contrast between the walls, which are jagged, and the slopes, which are almost smooth. Also, the lone tree in the bottom right corner could almost be defying nature, as there aren't any other trees visible.

The French Alps. (From [|this website])

This view of the French Alps shows the sublime because of the basin. It is almost a sheer drop from the sides of the basin, but then it gradually flattens out. The patches of snow constrasting with the grass and the shards of ice on the right side and the spots of rock create an effect of natural beauty. The wisps of clouds and the fact that the peak of the mountains are above them give the photo a dreamlike quality.