We explain what classicism is, its historical context, style and characteristics. Furthermore, its most important representatives.
(Jacques-Louis David. The Oath of the Horatii1784)
What is classicism?
Classicism was a cultural movement and an attitude which consisted of the desire to recover the aesthetic patterns of classical antiquity, that is, the artistic and philosophical forms that were developed in Greece and Rome between the 8th centuries BC and 5th AD.
Classicism emerged in the early modern period and affected all fields of art, from literature and music to the visual and decorative arts, but it had its peak in each discipline at different times.
The return to the classical world proposed by classicism continued the line drawn by the humanism of the Renaissance. It flourished at different times from the 16th century in literature, architecture and painting, and in the 18th and 19th centuries in music.
Classicism in the plastic arts was contemporary with mannerism, and then with Baroque and Rococo. He opposed all of them in some way. It remained the dominant trend almost until the end of the 19th century, when it was challenged by the modern rupture.
Towards the end of the 18th century, as a reaction to the excesses of the Baroque, there was an important movement to renew classical forms, known as Neoclassicism. The incorporation of this aesthetic to the academies gave rise to academicism.
Classical, classicist or neoclassical?
The terms “classical”, “classicist” and “neoclassical” are frequently interchanged, which often generates confusion.
- “Classic ” refers, strictly speaking, to the productions of classical antiquity: the works belonging to Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
- “Classicist ” is related to that which aspires to recreate the art of classical antiquity.
- “Neoclassical ” either “neoclassicist ” corresponds to the works that were produced during Neoclassicism, that is, from 1750 onwards.
An exception is “classical music,” which is how representative music of the 18th and 19th centuries is known today. Classical music took that name because of its relevance, although historically it belongs to Neoclassicism.
Historical context of classicism
Classicism emerged at a time when the West was leaving behind medieval thought, marked by religion, the control of the Church and feudalism. That breakup was called the Renaissance.
The transformations of the Renaissance (a movement that received that name because it symbolized a new birth of classical culture, overshadowed for centuries by the Church) were determined by transcendental events. The most important were the invention of the printing press, the encounter with the American continent and the emergence of new European States.
These events had cultural, economic, sociopolitical and philosophical consequences that eroded religious discourse and caused the emergence of Humanism, a new ideal that had the human being and the use of reason to understand phenomena as its center.
Along with the rise of civil patronage (that is, non-religious artistic patrons), Humanism and its changes promoted a new art that turned its gaze to the past of ancient Greece and Rome.
Characteristics of classicism
Classicism was characterized by the following:
- He proposed returning to the aesthetic and philosophical values of classical antiquity: simplicity, unity, sobriety, rationality, harmony and mimesis (imitation of nature).
- It manifested itself in the different arts: music, literature, sculpture, painting, architecture, although it did not do so simultaneously (sculpture, painting and various literary forms of classicism preceded classical music).
- He intended a universalist model of art: idealistic, harmonious, clear, sober and balanced through mathematical proportions.
During the Renaissance, classicism was related to the universalist ideal of the human being who knows the world through intellect.
Style and themes of classicism
(Frescos from the hall of the Villa Borghese, 17th century)
Classicism favored the return of Greco-Roman motifs, stories, scenes and ideals, especially mythological, which displaced the Christian religious imagination. The theme focused on epic events from classical antiquity and the representation of values of Humanism.
On the other hand, classicism introduced specific characteristics in each art form:
Classicism music
Classical music coincided with what Neoclassicism was in the other arts. It had its heyday during the 18th and 19th centuries, when there was an evolution of the classical orchestra, with strings, winds and percussion and buffa (or comic) opera emerged.
Classical music sought to be elegant, contained, refined and balanced, based on the simplicity of orderly and regular harmonies and melodies. Classical talents are still considered among the greatest musical authors in the West, to the point that “classical music” became synonymous with “academic music.”
Some works of classical music are:
- Opera Don Giovanni K. 527, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1787
- Symphony No. 40 in G minor K. 550, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1788
- Symphony No. 101 in D major (The Clock), by Joseph Haydn, 1794
Classicism painting
Classical painting appeared for the first time in the Renaissance and, although coexisted with other styles, such as mannerism and Baroque remained in force until the end of the 19th century.
He privileged the return of Greco-Roman mythological motifs, which were recreated in a harmonious and austere way, through successive shots, without violent contrasts or exaggerated attitudes. His works were sober and the figures occupied the center of the composition.
Some works of painting from classicism are:
- Echo and Narcissus, by Nicolas Poussin, 1628
- The Abduction of the Sabine Women, by Nicolas Poussin, 1638
- Sunset in a Port, by Claudio de Lorena, 1639
Sculpture in classicism
Classical sculpture recovered the harmony of the human body as a basic principle of beauty as well as sobriety, detailed shapes and symmetry. The expression of feelings was present, although not in an exaggerated way (which is more typical of the Baroque).
Some works of sculpture from classicism are:
- Emperor Charles V and the Fury, deLeone Leoni, 1551-1564
- The abduction of Proserpina, by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, 1622
Architecture in classicism
Classicist architecture pursued balance between base and height and moved away from the pointed structures of medieval Gothic. The sobriety of horizontal, symmetrical and geometrically proportioned lines predominated.
Some works of classicism architecture are:
- Kensington Palace, by Christopher Wren, 1605
- The Royal Palace of Madrid, 1735-1764
Literature in classicism
literary classicism emerged at the end of the 16th century and was greatly influenced by Aristotle and his Poetics. Classical literature sought to communicate emotions through the language of the intellect. Aristotelian forms predominated (that is, the types and structures of the theater proposed by Aristotle in the 4th century BC) in dramaturgy, Alexandrian verse (a type of verse with fourteen metric syllables, divided into two) in poetry and the recovery of some classic forms such as the fable, the eclogue and the elegy.
Some works of classicism literature are:
- The bourgeois gentleman, by Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin), 1670
- The imaginary patientby Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin), 1673
- Essay on criticismby Alexander Pope, 1709
Representatives of classicism
Some representatives of classicism in the different arts were:
In music:
- Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). He was an Austrian composer, considered the father of the quartet and the string symphony. It is believed that he became a mentor and friend of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and a teacher of Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827).
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). He was an Austrian composer and pianist, considered the great musical master of classicism and one of the most brilliant musicians in all of history. His extensive work spans a wide variety of genres and includes operas, symphonies, concertos, sonatas and chamber music. His compositions had a great influence on later musicians, such as Ludwig Van Beethoven.
In literature:
- Molière (1622-1673). His real name is Jean Baptiste Poquelin. He was a French playwright, actor and poet, considered among the highest exponents of the French language and universal literature, as well as the father of French comedy. His work was irreverent and critical of the bourgeoisie.
- Alexander Pope (1688-1744). He was an English poet noted for his translations of Homer and his editions of Shakespeare, as well as for his satirical poetry. He is considered one of the greatest exponents of 18th century literature in his country. He wrote works in Latin and cultivated elegy and essays.
In painting:
- Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665). He was a French painter, one of the most famous of classicism. He spent most of his life painting in Rome, until he returned to France to work as a court painter. He was an important inspiration for 20th century painters such as Jacques Louis David (1748-1825) and Paul Cézanne (1839-1906).
In architecture:
- Richard Boyle (1694-1753). He was an English architect known as “The Apollo of the arts”, Earl of Burlington and Cork. His work was part of Palladianism, that is, the style inspired by the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508-1580). It covered a wide range of public buildings in England.
Classicism and Neoclassicism
(Eugène Delacroix. Freedom leading the people1830)
Neoclassicism was a movement of renewal of classicism that emerged in the 18th century within enlightened thought.
The Enlightenment revitalized the value of reason as the driving force of humanity above faith, and renewed enthusiasm for the Greco-Roman tradition as opposed to the Christian. Its great symbol was the French Revolution of 1789, in which the French monarchy and aristocracy were deposed and the first republican government was founded, which enshrined the universal rights of human beings under the slogan of “liberty, equality and fraternity.”
In this context, Classical values were recovered not only from an artistic point of view, but also from an ideological point of view. The founding of the Republic was a favorable environment to restore political ideas from Ancient Greece, such as the democratic ideal and the notion of citizen. Thus, Neoclassicism emerged, which was not only an aesthetic movement, but also a philosophical and political one.
Neoclassicism recovered philosophical precepts such as the rationalization of all human aspects and secular (non-religious) ethics. This movement was in force until the 19th century and lost strength with the expansion of Romanticism.
Classicism in Mexico
classicism It coincided with the final years of the Spanish colony in Latin America and it manifested itself strongly through the construction of great cathedrals, such as those in Mexico, Puebla, Cuzco, Mérida and Guadalajara.
This current had a profound impact on urban planning and cultural activities at the end of the 16th century. Classicism in America laid the foundations for the development of the colonial style of the 17th century.
However, just as in Spain, in Latin America the Baroque had much more intensity, which came to produce the ultra-baroque, whose abundance of forms was more conducive than the rigor of classicism to represent the mestizo culture in formation.
References
- Gombrich, E. H. (1997). The history of art. Phaidon.
- Hauser, A. (1974). Social history of literature and art. Guadarrama.
- Larousse. (sf). Classicism – LAROUSSE. Retrieved June 18, 2024, from https://www.larousse.fr/
