In today’s society there are few if any great artists. Most of what is exhibited in galleries and museums, under the misnomer of “Modern Art”, is in most cases not art and definitely not modern. Yet, only one hundred years ago, the Western World was overflowing with great, creative artists. What happened? The answer lies in philosophy. Life in the twentieth century has been dominated primarily by the philosophy of Kant and his ideological descendants, whereas the nineteenth century was dominated primarily by the philosophy of the Enlightenment. It is the result of the difference between these philosophies that we suffer today. This paper will not deal directly with the chain of events in philosophy and in the art world that has led to the state we are in today. But, by analyzing two nineteenth century artists, I hope to expand the understanding of the role philosophy has in shaping art, whether or not this philosophy is held explicitly by the artist.