neoclasic

Neoclassicism, or neoclasic, is a broad cultural movement in the arts and architecture that emerged in the mid-18th century in Europe and the Americas. Drawing inspiration from classical antiquity—Greece and Rome—it sought to revive what practitioners perceived as the clarity, order, and moral purpose of ancient art as a corrective to the ornate excesses of Baroque and Rococo.

Rooted in Enlightenment ideals of reason, public virtue, and antiquarian scholarship (notably the writings of Johann Joachim Winckelmann), neoclassicism spread through painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, and music. Its program emphasized restrained color and composition, balanced and harmonious forms, and subjects drawn from classical history and myth.

In architecture, designers favored geometric simplicity, columns, pediments, and the use of classical orders; many public buildings, museums, and monuments of the period exemplified these traits. In painting and sculpture, figures are idealized with restrained emotion, often conveying civic virtue or moral resolve. Jacques-Louis David's Oath of the Horatii and Antonio Canova's refined sculpture are emblematic works. In music, the movement aligned with the broader Classical style, with composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and early Beethoven prioritizing form, symmetry, and clarity.

Neoclassicism waned with the rise of Romanticism in the early 19th century, but its influence persisted in architecture, education, and public art. It later experienced revivals in various regions and periods, often associated with civic identity and monumental public spaces.