Final answer:
Transcendentalist artists believed that true understanding was achieved through feeling and experience, transcending the conventional boundaries of reason and societal norms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Transcendentalist artists and thinkers believed that through feeling and experience, individuals could achieve true understanding. This belief was rooted in a reaction to rationalism and the constraints of societal institutions like organized religion and political parties. Transcendentalists like Emerson and Thoreau cherished the values of freedom, self-reliance, and a deep connection with nature, which they believed allowed the soul to attain a mystical unity with the cosmos. In their eyes, to live a life guided by these ideals was to transcend the limits of intellect and gain a profound comprehension of the world and one's place within it.