What was the Romantic movement in art primarily reacting against?

The Romantic movement in art was primarily a response to the rationalism that characterized the Age of Enlightenment. During the Enlightenment, there was a strong emphasis on reason, logic, and scientific thought, which often led to an undervaluation of emotional depth, individual experience, and the appreciation of nature. Artists associated with the Romantic movement sought to emphasize these aspects, celebrating imagination, emotional expression, and the sublime qualities found in nature and human experience. They reacted against the strict adherence to reason and the structured artistic conventions that dominated prior periods, favoring instead a more subjective and expressive approach to art. This shift allowed for the exploration of the inner self, spirituality, and the beauty found in both the natural world and the tumultuous human experience, which were often overlooked in the rationalist framework of the Enlightenment.