The Romantic Age is generally considered to have lasted from around 1785 to 1832, and was a time of notable change within art and culture. As a counterreaction to the hard facts and scientific ideals of the Enlightenment, artists and writers now began to create works inspired by nature, emotion, and the sublime. Fast forward to our modern times, and we might see a similar effect taking place on social media – the return of the Romantic Age.

#cottagecore

With complete freedom to distribute whatever content we wish, social media platforms effectively grant us the opportunity to create art, share ideas, and have that art and those ideas influence others. Subcultures, trends, and movements form – some of which noticeably mimic creative eras of times past. One of these trends is the ‘Cottagecore’-aesthetic, which in many ways reintroduces principles of the Romantic era.

At the time of writing, the tag #cottagecore has 13.3 billion views on Tiktok, and 4.5 million posts on Instagram. The Urban Dictionary describes the concept as such: «Cottagecore […] is inspired by a romanticized interpretation of western agricultural life. It is centered on ideas of simple living and harmony with nature.» In short: an aesthetic movement that celebrates living away from technology, typically in a rural area. Cottagecore enthusiasts post photos of picturesque cabins, cute farm animals, and beautiful gardens. There is not a trace of modern technology in sight. Similarly, Romantic age artists depicted and glorified rural living, by writing about noble working class people and their peaceful farmlife environment.

Nature as curated by urban citizens

Although they glorified the simple, hard-working, rural life, most Romantic era artists were not actually working class people – the vast majority of them wrote about this lifestyle from an outsider’s perspective. They generally lived in cities, and might not ever have stepped foot on an actual farm. The same applies to the Cottagecore trend – social media users who enjoy the aesthetic largely do not live in such a traditional manner day to day. They are all users of modern technology, and they live modern lives.

As such, the purpose of Cottagecore content seems to be to provide social media users with a source of escapism from their actual, fast paced schedules. Digitally, people create an idyllic visual representation of a life they might lead, and let this representation bring them a sense of calm. They log off without logging off, preferring to create a romanticised online world free of stress and expectations, rather than seeking out a more relaxed environment in actuality. Ironically, staying online to create a hypothetical life for themselves likely distances people even further from the rural lifestyle they idealise.

Private and public spheres

For some, Cottagecore does extend beyond the aesthetic, and becomes an influence on their actual way of life. There are numerous online personalities who have implemented Cottagecore-related habits and choices into their lives, both in terms of fashion, hobbies, and interior design. Some may dress in clothing more typical of the 19th century than this one, sporting long, floral dresses and linen shirts. Some decorate their homes in a more traditional way, with design elements such as natural wood, earthy tones, and practical, wooden furniture. Activities such as caring for plants, crocheting, and baking have become popularised as part of the trend, and many share recipes and tutorials for their crafts and bakes.

It seems that although Cottagecore inspires some to return to a more private and domestic way of life, there is still an important social aspect to the trend. People may enjoy these solitary, more old-fashioned activities, but they also enjoy sharing videos and pictures of themselves in that solitude. If someone takes time to themselves to dress comfortably, decorate their rooms with flowers, bake some bread from scratch, and frolic around in a field – but, as they do this, record the entire process and post it to an online audience – is that truly logging off?

Art for art’s sake

While performative to a degree, Cottagecore as an aesthetic movement seems like a reasonable response to the constant influx of impressions that social media users deal with. You can hardly blame today’s youth for craving a calmer, prettier, simpler daily life – even if only in the hypothetical. The Cottagecore trend also has the benefit of being generally inclusive and unproblematic. It is largely apolitical, and, compared to the Romantic artists of the 1800’s , less dependent on social class. Anyone with an internet connection is free to piece together their own vision of a nature-near hideaway. Perhaps this is especially beneficial for exactly those who do live very urban lives, and who may not have access to much of a natural environment in real life.

Humans have always been dependent on beauty to thrive. It stands to reason that those who do not see it in their immediate surroundings, would seek it out online to the best of their ability. As such, one could argue that trends like Cottagecore, and similar concepts, serve a real purpose. They provide a source of escapism for avid users of technology, by giving them an illusion of being logged off: a sort of digital travelling to a calmer place. It also, more simply, allows participants to create something beautiful in unison. It celebrates the sharing of ideas, creative inspiration, and aesthetic values.

The world of art and literature is perhaps more eclectic today, than it used to be. A wider variety of art is accessible to a worldwide audience. This new Romantic age, then, in digital form, settles in alongside countless other trends and movements – some new, some fascinatingly similar to earlier movements. Our opportunity to appreciate such a diverse array of art is, in my opinion, one of the greatest privileges of our modern times. Sure, the concept of Cottagecore is ironic, in that it promotes a lack of modern technology through modern technology. However, at its core, it also champions one of the most powerful ideals of Romantic art: that something beautiful has value in its own right. It doesn’t have to be topical, or political, or especially relevant to one’s daily life. It might not even have to be real. It looks nice, it makes people feel better, and in that, it has value.

The Return of the Romantic Age