Final answer:
The late 18th century was labeled the Romantic Age because it represented a departure from the Enlightenment's rationalism, emphasizing emotion, nature, and individualism. It was a reaction to industrialization and the Age of Reason, focusing on nationalistic and liberal sensibilities. Romanticism was influential in art, literature, and music, where expressions of passion and sublimity overshadowed classical restraint.
Step-by-step explanation:
The era from the late 18th century until around 1850 has been labeled the Romantic Age for its radical shift from the Enlightenment's focus on reason and factual analysis to a period that prioritized emotion, individualism, and the glorification of nature. The Romantic movement was a rebellion against the previous era's rationalism, a response to the Industrial Revolution, and was marked by its focus on the awe of natural forces, the importance of intuition and passion, and a renewed interest in medievalism. This period celebrated the subjective experience and the emotions of individuals, often exploring themes of nationalism, liberalism, and the beauty of the unspoiled natural world.
Romanticism was influenced by the French Revolution, which sowed seeds of nationalism and fostered a spirit of defiance against conservative, monarchic norms. It was an era of profound artistic and literary achievement, where figures like Victor Hugo viewed it as 'liberalism in literature,' highlighting a shift towards egalitarian ideas and the freedom of the individual. Art from this period, too, depicted idyllic landscapes and the exaltation of the pastoral over the urban. Despite its name, the Romantic Age was not concerned with 'romance' in the contemporary sense, but with a broader repudiation of the preceding Age of Reason.
During the post-Romantic era, composers like Mahler and Strauss continued to evolve Romantic musical techniques, and artists illustrated sublime sceneries that often included romanticized details to enhance emotionality. Overall, the Romantic Age was an epoch of transcendence over strict rationalism, favoring a more passionate, intuitive, and nature-celebratory approach to art and life.