Neoclassicism - A Reincarnation
- mariamfatima01
- Dec 9, 2021
- 2 min read
Classicism developed during 16th century Italian Renaissance, the more orderly and symmetrical architecture which evolved into Palladian Architecture later. Neoclassicism is a revival of classicism during late 18th century. It is a more detailed and revised form of classicism.
Neoclassicism is the movement or trend prevailing in the architecture of Europe, America, and various European colonies at various periods during the late18th and early 19th centuries, characterized by the introduction and widespread use of Greek orders and decorative motifs; the subordination of detail to simple, strongly geometric overall compositions; the presence of light colors or shades; frequent shallowness of relief in ornamental treatment of façades; and the absence of textural effects. Neoclassical architecture is characterized by grandeur of scale, simplicity of geometric forms, Greek— especially Doric —or Roman detail, dramatic use of columns, and a preference for blank walls. The new taste for antique simplicity represented a general reaction to the excesses of the Rococo style.
What are the similarities of the Renaissance and Neoclassicism?
Think architecture, where Andrea Palladio links the two eras. Palladio designed churches and villas in the mid 1500s, using classical elements like pediments, columns, and symmetry. For Neoclassicism, consider that Palladio wrote up his methods in his Four Books of Architecture, and those ideas sprang back to life in the 18th century. Thomas Jefferson called Palladio’s work the “Bible: of architecture, and used Palladio’s ideas in designing Monticello. It is renowned for its extensive gardens, which Jefferson, an avid horticulturist, designed, tended and painstakingly monitored (the dome, for example, resembles that of La Rotonda). There's a lot one can find of Palladian - influenced neo-classical work in England and Ireland as well.
What are the differences of the Renaissance and Neoclassicism?
Neoclassical, being later and enjoying the benefits of much more research of original classicism, is governed by rules of proportion and stricter adherence to original examples in form and detail. Renaissance was more experimental and generally relatively crude in composition (but also livelier) as the old Greek and Roman buildings were not as well known nor as illustrated for examples as later designers enjoyed.
Claude-Nicolas Ledoux was one of the earliest exponents of French Neoclassical architecture. He used his knowledge of architectural theory to design not only domestic architecture but also town planning; as a consequence of his visionary plan for the Ideal City of Chaux, he became known as a utopian. Ledoux’s Theatre of Besançon (1771–73) was a revolutionary design in its provision of seats for the ordinary public as well as for the upper classes. The private houses he designed in the 1780s had brilliantly eccentric features, including odd layouts, discontinuous elevations, and a striking use of Doric architectural elements.
Neoclassicism era learnt and adapted from the classisicm and the Renaissance era into something newer, more complex, but strikingly crazy structures, that resulted in creating the history we have now.
Unity and simplicity are the two true sources of beauty.
-Winckelmann
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