neoklassisk

Neoklassisk, or neoclassicism, is a Western artistic movement that sought to revive the forms and values of ancient Greece and Rome as a corrective to Baroque and Rococo excess. Emerging in the mid-18th century in Europe and drawing on Enlightenment ideals of order, reason, and civic virtue, it spread to architecture, painting, sculpture, literature, and later music. The revival was stimulated by renewed interest in classical antiquity, supported by archaeological discoveries at Herculaneum and Pompeii beginning in the 1740s, and by a renewed admiration for classical models as exemplars of moral clarity.

In architecture and the visual arts, neoclassicism favors clean lines, restrained decoration, symmetry, and the use of classical orders and motifs such as columns, pediments, and friezes. Subject matter in painting and sculpture centers on scenes from classical history and myth, or emblems of virtuous civic virtue; works aim for balance, clarity, and idealized form over emotional display. The style often relies on precise drawing and a sober palette, prioritizing readable composition and moral purpose over ornamental drama.

The movement had prominent exponents in France, Italy, and Britain, including Jacques-Louis David in painting and Antonio Canova or Bertel Thorvaldsen in sculpture, along with architects such as Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine. In music, the term neoclassicism is more commonly tied to 20th-century composers who revived classical forms and genres, whereas the 18th-century era is usually described as part of the broader Classical period.

Neoclassicism influenced public architecture, museums, and education, and its aesthetic remained influential into the 19th century and beyond, shaping national styles, civic ideals, and historicist architecture. In contemporary usage, neoklassisk can also describe interior design and decorative arts that echo classical simplicity and restraint.