The Gothic subculture, especially the earlier generations, were pretty
much influenced by Romanticism, or a style of art and literature that
emerged in the late 1700s until the early 1800s. This style of art and
literature emphasized the expression of emotions, feelings and
imagination. He Romanticism also took an affinity for unhappiness and the
use of ancient verses of poetry to express this melancholy. The Gothic sub
culture also took an affinity for medieval, Edwardian, Victorian and
Gothic architecture, literature, music and art.
Dress styles within this sub culture range from Victorian styles, punk and
deathrock or even combinations of these branches. The aesthetics of this
sub culture is associated with dark (often black) attire, pale facial
makeup and black hair. The Gothic sub-culture began in England in the
mid-1980s, where it developed from the gothic rock scene, in turn a
variation of the genre and post-punk movement. This subculture has
survived much longer than others of its own time and has continued to
diversify and spread throughout the world.
