Neoclassicism

1760s-1850s

Neoclassicism was an 18th-century movement that drew inspiration from classical antiquity, emphasizing order, symmetry, and idealized forms in reaction to the ornate Rococo style.

Historical Context

Neoclassicism emerged alongside the Enlightenment and archaeological discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum. It became the official style of the French Revolution and Napoleon, symbolizing republican virtue and imperial grandeur.

Key Characteristics

  • Inspiration from Greek and Roman art
  • Clear, balanced compositions
  • Idealized human forms
  • Moral and heroic subject matter
  • Restrained colors and precise drawing
  • Emphasis on virtue and civic duty

Neoclassicism Artworks

Comtesse de la Châtre (Marie Charlotte Louise Perrette Aglaé Bontemps, 1762–1848)

Comtesse de la Châtre (Marie Charlotte Louise Perrette Aglaé Bontemps, 1762–1848)

Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

Julie Le Brun (1780–1819) Looking in a Mirror

Julie Le Brun (1780–1819) Looking in a Mirror

Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

Madame Grand (Noël Catherine Vorlée, 1761–1835)

Madame Grand (Noël Catherine Vorlée, 1761–1835)

Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

Diana and Cupid

Diana and Cupid

Pompeo Batoni

Portrait of a Young Man

Portrait of a Young Man

Pompeo Batoni

Alexandre Charles Emmanuel de Crussol-Florensac (1743–1815)

Alexandre Charles Emmanuel de Crussol-Florensac (1743–1815)

Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

The Virgin Adoring the Host

The Virgin Adoring the Host

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Joséphine-Éléonore-Marie-Pauline de Galard de Brassac de Béarn (1825–1860), Princesse de Broglie

Joséphine-Éléonore-Marie-Pauline de Galard de Brassac de Béarn (1825–1860), Princesse de Broglie

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Aretino in the Studio of Tintoretto

Aretino in the Studio of Tintoretto

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Edmond Cavé (1794–1852)

Edmond Cavé (1794–1852)

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Madame Edmond Cavé (Marie-Élisabeth Blavot, born 1810)

Madame Edmond Cavé (Marie-Élisabeth Blavot, born 1810)

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Odalisque in Grisaille

Odalisque in Grisaille

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Jacques-Louis Leblanc (1774–1846)

Jacques-Louis Leblanc (1774–1846)

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Madame Jacques-Louis Leblanc (Françoise Poncelle, 1788–1839)

Madame Jacques-Louis Leblanc (Françoise Poncelle, 1788–1839)

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Joseph-Antoine Moltedo (born 1775)

Joseph-Antoine Moltedo (born 1775)

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

General Étienne-Maurice Gérard (1773–1852)

General Étienne-Maurice Gérard (1773–1852)

Jacques Louis David

Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743–1794) and Marie Anne Lavoisier (Marie Anne Pierrette Paulze, 1758–1836)

Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743–1794) and Marie Anne Lavoisier (Marie Anne Pierrette Paulze, 1758–1836)

Jacques Louis David

The Death of Socrates

The Death of Socrates

Jacques Louis David

Head of a Child

Head of a Child

Jacques Louis David

Everhard Jabach (1618–1695) and His Family

Everhard Jabach (1618–1695) and His Family

Charles Le Brun

The Sacrifice of Polyxena

The Sacrifice of Polyxena

Charles Le Brun

The Outskirts of a Village

The Outskirts of a Village

Edmond-François Aman-Jean

Monsignor Giuseppe Spina (1756–1828)

Monsignor Giuseppe Spina (1756–1828)

Angelica Kauffmann

The Sorrow of Telemachus

The Sorrow of Telemachus

Angelica Kauffmann

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