[CHP. 19- NEOCLASSICISM: THE LATE 18TH CENTURY & EARLY 19TH CENTURY]
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Neoclassicism 1780-1820
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Reaction against frivolity of Rococo
Reason, moral responsibility, democratic equality, freedom
Rivival of Graeco-Roman art and ideals
Calm, rational, inpsiring
Paintings were linear, had smooth surface showing no brushstrokes
De-emphasized backgrounds
France
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artistic style associated with the French Revolution
renewed interest in Classical ideas and ideals
reflected honor, order, stability
used by Napoleon to associate himself with Roman Emperors
More serious in its nature, a reaction against Rococo and the morals of Louis XV
Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Denis Diderot both spoke of a need for art that contains a "moralizing" message. Rousseau was also famous
for his "noble savage" treatise.
The Neoclassical style is, as its name imples, a frank emulation of Greco-Roman culture. As an artistic style, it expresses a certain reserved austerity
that is ironically based largely upon mistaken interpretation of what classical art looked like. (As pointed out earlier, most Greek sculpture was
painted, not left in the pristine whiteness of natural stone, an accident caused by weathering of the marble over the centuries, which later
sculptors emulated.)
Not all neoclassical works met with the same degree of success. The premier French neoclassical painter Jacques Louis David won acclaim for his
paintings of salient episodes of patriotism drawn from ancient Roman history, but Horatio Greenough's monumental marble sculpture (1832-1841)
of George Washington wearing a toga and swearing an oath upon a Roman sword (Smithsonian Museum, Washington, D.C.) now looks simply
incongruous.
The Neoclassical style in America finds its best expression in architecture in Thomas Jefferson's designs for his country estate Monticello
(1770-1806, Charlottesville, VA) and the Rotunda at the University of Virginia (1819-1826, Charlottesville). Both emulate the Roman PANTHEON but
with a distinctly colonial accent. Similarly, French architect Pierre-Alexandre Vignon's Greek templelike LA MADELEINE, a church dedicated by
Napoleon to his troops, is unmistakably a reincarnation of the Athenian PARTHENON with three domes added, visible only from the interior.
Other significant neoclassical masters include:
Neoclassicism
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Reaction against frivolity of Rococo
Reason, moral responsibility, democratic equality, freedom
Rivival of Graeco-Roman art and ideals
Calm, rational, inpsiring
Paintings were linear, had smooth surface showing no brushstrokes
De-emphasized backgrounds
And it was, to a great degree, a reaction against the frivolity and superficiality of the 18th century Rococo style
Neoclassicism championed “reason and moral responsibility” in art, in literature, and in philosophy
The late 1700s were a time of revolution
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Industrial Revolution (1760, Britain)
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American Revolution (1775)
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French Revolution (1789)
And revolutions proposed new principles of reason and democratically equality
Prototype of these new virtues and freedoms were found in the heroic models of ancient Greek and Roman ideals- which were extremely
popular during this era due to a kind of archaeological mania that was sweeping Europe
As a revival of Greco-Roman art, Neoclassicism valued order and solemnity
It was art that was calm and rational, appealing to the intellect by stressing drawing with lines while downplaying color.
[CHP. 19- NEOCLASSICISM: THE LATE 18TH CENTURY & EARLY 19TH CENTURY]
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Neoclassical artists left no trace of brushstrokes in their work, smoothing the surface o f their paintings until they appeared polished,
quite different from the feathery brushwork of the Rococo artists.
Neoclassical compositions were simple, and often used Greek and Roman history and mythology as their subject matter
Neoclassical artist insisted that their art be inspirational and morally uplifting
Part --: Unit Exam Essay Questions
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Compare the Romantic movement with Neoclassicism. How are they similar? What are the differences?
(Rubenistes or Poussinistes?) Using your text, study these two paintings and the artists who created them:
1. The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus
Peter Paul Rubens
1617
2.
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The Burial of Phocion
Nicolas Poussin
1648
Choose the painting you like most. Analyze it in terms of subject, technique, and space. Be prepared to discuss how you
made your choice. Must be written in essay form—not just an outline. Should be approximately 250–300 words.
Using examples from the text, compare Rococo and Neoclassical style. Consider context, iconography, and formal elements.
Explain the political context of Neoclassicism. How did it develop, and how is it reflected in the art of the period?
Using examples in the text, compare and contrast the paintings of Ingres and David.
Describe Jefferson's contribution to American architecture.
Discuss the sources that inspired Jeffersonian architecture.
Chapter Outline
NEOCLASSICISM: THE LATE 18th AND EARLY 19th CENTURIES
Revolutionary fervor in France
Napoleon becomes emperor of France (1804)
Imperial patronage: Arc de Triomphe; Vendôme column
Battle of Waterloo (1815)
Painters in France: David; Benoist; Ingres
Sculptors in France: Canova; Houdon
United States Constitution (1787)
American artists: Trumbull; Greenough
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Thomas Jefferson (architect and statesman): Third U.S. president
Federal style: Richmond, Virginia, Capitol building; Monticello; University of Virginia
Summary and Study Guide
Key Terms
metope
philosophes
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769‐1821)
portico
Thoughts on the Imitation of Greek Art in
Painting and salon
fête galante
History of Ancient Art by Johann Joachim
Winckelmann
Poussinistes
satyr
terracotta
triglyph
Enlightenment
the Grand Tour (1764)
Industrial Revolution
Romanticism
age of revolutions (American, French, and
Greek)
[CHP. 19- NEOCLASSICISM: THE LATE 18TH CENTURY & EARLY 19TH CENTURY]
Rubénistes
the Salon
Crenellation
Neoclassicism
Madame de Pompadour
Delacroix’s trip to North Africa and
journals
the great rivals: Ingres vs. Delacroix
excavations at Herculaneum (begun in
1738) and Pompeii
Hudson River School
(begun in 1748)
Prix de Rome
Other topics to consider:
Explain the political context of Neoclassicism. How did it develop, and how is it reflected in the art of the period?
Describe Jefferson's contribution to American architecture.
Discuss the sources of Jeffersonian architecture.
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