1. Landscape and the Sublime

The enlightenment was an intellectual movement that developed throughout the 17th Century. There is some controversy over the dates of the enlightnment as there is no distinct 'end'. People of this era began to engage in thought more proactively to help understand the world. The "scientific revolution" is also associated  with the enlightenment. Scientists experimented with the idea that "Truth can be arrived at through empirical observation, the use of reason, and systematic doubt."  This approach was also evident in the art throughout this period as the painters had a more relaxed, less formal style and began to document common everyday objects rather than the traditional religious works.


http://www.enotes.com/history-fact-finder/eras-their-highlights/what-was-enlightenment
Hamilton P. (1992) The enlightenment and the birth of social science and birth
Hooker R. (1996)  Seventeenth Century Enlightenment thought.