1. Neoclassical Art
Europe and America, 1700 to 1800
Gardner’s Art Through the Ages
13th ed., Chapter 29
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2. Goals
• Discuss the change in European and American tastes in
art in the mid-18th century
• Explain the causes and characteristics of Neoclassical art
and architecture in Europe and America.
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3. Revival of Classicism
• Understand how the discovery of Herculaneum and Pompeii
create an interest in classical art.
• Understand the formal elements of classical art and their
revival in 19th century art and architecture.
• Examine Neoclassical art and architecture in France,
England, and in the United States.
• Examine the adaptation of classical and mythological subject
matter in Neoclassical art.
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4. Neoclassical Art in France
• Understand the formal elements of classical art and their
revival in 19th century.
• Examine the adaptation of classical and mythological subject
matter.
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5. JACQUES-LOUIS DAVID, Oath of the Horatii, 1784. Oil on canvas, approx. 10’ 10” x 13’ 11”. Louvre, Paris.
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6. JACQUES-LOUIS DAVID, The Death of
Marat, 1793. Oil on canvas,. 5’ 5” x 4’ 2 1/2”.
Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique,
Brussels.
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7. Neoclassical Architecture and Sculpture
• Examine classical revival in architecture and how it was used
in Western Europe and the United States (Federal style).
• Observe the influence of Palladio on Neoclassical
architecture.
• Recall the significance of the discovery of Pompeii and
Herculaneum on Neoclassical art
• Analyze Neoclassical sculpture for its classical references and
stylistic qualities
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8. JACQUES-GERMAIN SOUFFLOT, Pantheon (Sainte-Genevieve), Paris, France, 1755-1792.
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9. RICHARD BOYLE and WILLIAM KENT, Chiswick House, near London, England, begun 1725.
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10. ROBERT ADAM, Etruscan Room,
Osterley Park House, Middlesex,
England, begun 1761. Victoria and
Albert Museum, London.
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11. JEAN-ANTOINE HOUDON, George Washington,
1788-1792. Marble, 6’ 2” high. State Capitol, Richmond.
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12. HORATIO GREENOUGH, George
Washington, 1840. Marble, 11’ 4” high.
Smithsonian American Art Museum,
Washington, D.C.
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13. The Neoclassical in the United States
a.k.a. Federal Style
• Examine Neoclassical or Federal Style as the national style of
architecture in the United States in the early 19th century.
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14. THOMAS JEFFERSON, Monticello, Charlottesville, United States, 1770–1806.
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15. THOMAS JEFFERSON, Rotunda and Lawn, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1819-1826.
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16. Discussion Questions
 Why did European tastes in art change in the mid-18th
century? How did this make for a smoother transition
toward Neoclassicism?
 Why did Neoclassicism appeal to political leaders in the
19th century?
 Was the Federal style an appropriate choice for architecture
in the fledgling United States?
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