anatoly's art history: neoclassicism
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Art HistoryBackground From Anatoly
Anatoly "Tony" Vanetik
I don’t have a background in art. I’m not much of an artist myself. I don’t do much painting anymore, nor do I sculpt or draw. But just as you don’t have to play
baseball to watch the Dodgers or play football to watch your local team, I love art despite not
participating in the creation too heavily. So while I may not paint or draw, what I do is write–both here on
TonyVanetik.net about my interest in art and art history, and on my other websites.
Neoclassical ArtBackground
Anatoly "Tony" Vanetik
Looking at the etymology of the word "neoclassic" sheds some insight into the period. As you may know,
the prefix "neo" means “new.”
While you may be inclined to believe that neoclassic then roughly translates to "new classic," you'd be
incorrect!
The "classic" in neoclassic comes from the Latin "classicus" meaning "of highest rank."
Neoclassical ArtBackground
Anatoly "Tony" Vanetik
Born in the mid 18th century in Rome, Neoclassicism, as so many other periods of art have done, acted as a
sort of call back to previous eras.
In this case, those eras are Ancient Roman and Greek art. Conveniently, I’ve written about Ancient roman
Art previously on TonyVanetik.net, so hop over there if you need to catch up a bit. If you're more visually
inclined, check it out on my slideshare account!
Neoclassical ArtThe Birth and Spread
Anatoly "Tony" Vanetik
Despite being birthed in Rome, the Neoclassic period of art swept across the wide reaches of Europe,
influencing art and artists through the 19th century, coinciding with the era of Romanticism, acting as
both a complement and a competition for the style.
Neoclassical ArtThe Grand Tour
Anatoly "Tony" Vanetik
Most of the spread of neoclassic art comes from the Grand Tour.
Young, affluent men of this period were expected at
some point in their lives to take a long tour of Europe, soaking in the culture and expanding personal
horizons. As this was a fairly commonplace occurrence, it was natural that the booming of
Neoclassic art at the time would be picked up and spread like wildfire due in part to the sheer number of
people on the Grand Tour.
Neoclassical ArtA Return to Rome
Anatoly "Tony" Vanetik
This callback to the artistic explosion of their forebears was not long on the people of the time, who wanted a counterculture movement to the likes of the Baroque
and Rococo periods of the same time.
Written off for their frivolity and over the top qualities, artists who preferred to adhere to the neoclassical
form became recognized for the lack of emotion and return to what is often referred to as classical thought.
Neoclassical ArtSo What Did It Look Like?
Sternness, boldness, and heroism were defining characteristics of neoclassical art. Often, the subjects
of the pieces were historical in nature, crafted with fairly lower-key, somber tones in place of the bright
colors and eclectic patterns of the other periods of the time.
Some art of the time, painted by Jaques-Louis David
(right) and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (left).
