This artistic and literary movement was characterized by the desire to return to the purity of the Classical art of Antiquity. Neo-Classicism emerged in the second half of the 18th century in reaction to Rococo art which was deemed excessive and frivolous; it ran until approximately 1830, the date marking the development of Romanticism. Neo-Classicism’s main theoretician, Winckelmann (1717-1768), maintained that artists needed to imitate Antiquity which had attained perfection. This utopian return to Classicism also implied a search for moral perfection. The artist was expected to take on civic duties in society and present edifying subjects.
This phenomenon should be seen in the context of the ideas of Enlightenment philosophers who aspired to a new society and sought models for civilization in Antiquity. This movement also developed around the same time as the great archaeological discoveries in Herculaneum in 1738 and Pompeii in 1748 which triggered fresh interest in ancient art throughout Europe. Rome and its archaeological remains were an obligatory stop on the “grand tour” undertaken by young people from the upper classes of European society, especially Great Britain, in order to finish their education. David (1748-1825), Gros (1771-1835), Vien (1716-1809), along with Mengs (1728-1779), in Germany were the most important Neo-Classical painters.
As shown in David’s Le Serment des Horaces, Neo-Classical painting was characterized by a polished technique, clear lines, and a subject from Antiquity portraying civic virtues. Examples of sculptors include Canova (1757-1822) and Thorvaldsen (1770-1844) who favoured marble as a way of approximating more closely to ancient works.
Neo-Classical architecture used Greco-Roman elements (such as columns, pediment, harmonious proportions, and portico) and was most fully elaborated in England.
