Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that emerged in the late 18th century and reached its peak in the 19th century, primarily in Europe. It emphasized emotion, individualism, nature’s beauty, and the sublime—experiences that inspire awe or terror. Romanticism reacted against the Enlightenment's focus on reason, celebrating imagination, personal expression, and the exploration of human psychology and the supernatural. The movement influenced various art forms, including poetry, painting, music, and philosophy. Key figures include poets like William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, composers like Ludwig van Beethoven, and painters like J.M.W. Turner and Caspar David Friedrich.