ART AND

ARCHITECTURE
NEOCLASSICISM
(1770-1830)

 Neoclassicism was a reaction against the pomposity of

Rococo. This was the Age of the Enlightenment and
political, social and cultural revolution were in the air.
Artists needed a serious art for serious times and once
again they looked back to the art of Antiquity as their
model.
Calm, serious subjects presented with simple lines
and a sense of order and purpose.
Historical scenes of heroism and virtue were used as
patriotic propaganda or allegories on contemporary
circumstances. Jacques Louis David and Jean Auguste
Dominique Ingres were the outstanding virtuosos of
Neoclassical painting.

JACQUES LOUIS DAVID (1748-1825)

'Napoleon Crossing the Alps', 1801 (oil on canvas)

 Neoclassicism in painting gained a new

sense of direction with the sensational
success of Jacques-Louis David's Oath of
the Horatii at the Paris Salon of 1785.
There is only clear, hard details and no
wispy brushstrokes like the Rococo; the
brushstrokes are invisible showing that the
painting is more important compared to the
artist; the frozen quality of the painting
gives it the feeling that its rational unlike
the Rococo style.
David proposed the establishment of an
inventory of all national treasures- making
him one of the founders of France's
museums - he played an active role in the
organization of the future Louvre, Paris.

David, Oath of the Horatii, 1785, Oil on

canvas

 This marble statue of

Napoleons sister Pauline in a
highly refined pose is
considered a supreme example
of the Neoclassical style
Antonio Canova executed this
portrait between 1805 and
1808 without the customary
drapery of a person of high
rank, an exception at the time,
thus transforming this historical
figure into a goddess of
antiquity in a pose of classical
tranquillity and noble simplicity.
complete harmony and
balance, marked by great
simplicity
Resting squarely within the
Neoclassical tradition,
Thorvaldsen's great talent was
his ability to perfectly balance

Canova, Pauline Bonaparte

Borghese
1801, Marble

Neoclassicism made a discovery of the genuine classic interior,

inspired by the rediscoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Chteau de Malmaison, 1800, room for the Empress

Josphine, on the cusp between Directoire
style and Empire style

Interior of Home House in London, designed by Robert Adam

in 1777 in the Adam style.

 Neoclassical architecture is an architectural

style produced by the neoclassical
movement that began in the mid-18th century.
In its purest form, it is a style principally
derived from the architecture of classical
antiquity, the Vitruvian principles, and the
work of the Italian architect Andrea Palladio.
The movement concerned itself with the logic
of entire Classical volumes, unlike Classical
revivalism, which tended to reuse Classical
parts.
Neoclassical architecture is characterized by
grandeur of scale, simplicity of geometric
forms, Greekespecially Doric or Roman
detail, dramatic use of columns.
facades were decorated with a combination of
colonnades, rotundas and porticoes.
The new taste for antique simplicity
represented a general reaction to the excesses
of the Rococo style.

Facade of Vilnius Cathedral

 Neoclassicism thrived in the United States and

Europe, with examples occurring in almost every
major city.
RussiasCatherine IItransformed St. Petersburg
into an unparalleled collection of Neoclassical
buildings as advanced as any contemporary
French and English work
. By 1800 nearly all new
Britisharchitecturereflected the Neoclassical
spirit Frances boldest innovator was
Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, who had a central role in
the evolution of Neoclassical architecture.
In the United States Neoclassicism continued to
flourish throughout the 19th century, as many
architects looked to make the analogy between
the young country and imperial Rome when
designing major government buildings. The style
also spread to colonial Latin America.

Palladian revival: Stourhead House, designed

by Colen Campbell and completed in 1720. The
design is based on Palladio's Villa Emo.