In 1891 a visit to Florence, Italy, opened Gotch's eyes to the work of the romantic European symbolists. He took the brave step of changing his style, to make romantic decorative paintings, when the prevailing fashion was against him. Symbolism was largely a reaction against Naturalism and Realism, movements which attempted to objectively capture reality. These movements invited a reaction in favour of spirituality, the imagination, and dreams; the path to Symbolism begins with that reaction.
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