The document discusses the rise of Neoclassical art in Europe and America between 1700-1800. It explores how the rediscovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum sparked interest in classical art. Neoclassical art featured classical subject matter and formal elements. In France, artists like David painted grand historical scenes with balanced compositions. Neoclassical architecture used classical orders and was inspired by Palladio, seen in buildings like the Pantheon. The style also spread to America as the Federal style, exemplified in buildings like Monticello.

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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