Neoclassicism

2.  Ornate Baroque and Rococo styles fell
out of favor as architects returned to
Classical ideals borrowed from ancient
Greece and Rome.

3. How Neoclassical
Architecture Began:
 In 1563, Renaissance architect Giacomo
da Vignola outlined the principles of
Classical architecture in a treatise
titled The Five Orders of Architecture ( ).
A few years later, another Renaissance
architect, Andrea Palladio, described his
own approach to Classical architecture
in The Four Books of Architecture ().

4.  These books were widely translated and inspired
builders throughout western Europe. By the
1700s, European architects were turning away
from elaborate Baroque and Rococo styles in
favor of restrained Neoclassical approaches.
Orderly, symmetrical Neoclassical architecture
reflected the intellectual awakening among the
middle and upper classes in Europe during the
period historians often call the Enlightenment. In
the late 1700s and early 1800s, the newly-formed
United States also drew upon Classical ideals to
construct grand government buildings and smaller
private homes.

5. 1885 - 1925: Neoclassical
House Styles
 Refined, orderly, and symmetrical,
Neoclassical houses borrow ideas from
Classical Greece and Rome.

6.  The word Neoclassical is often used to
describe an architectural style, but
Neoclassicism is not actually any one
distinct style. Neoclassicism is a trend, or
approach to design, that can describe
several very different styles. Regardless of
the style, a Neoclassical house is always
symmetrical with windows equally
balanced on each side of the door.
Neoclassical houses often
have columns and pediments .

7. What Is Neoclassical
Architecture?
 Neoclassical, or "new" classical,
architecture describes buildings that are
inspired by the classical architecture of
ancient Greece and Rome. If you look
closely at a Neoclassical building you
may see echoes of the Parthenon in
Athens or the Pantheon in Rome.

8. Neoclassical buildings have many
(although not necessarily all) of these
features:
 Symmetrical shape
 Tall columns that rise the full height of
the building
 Triangular pediment
 Domed roof

9. The Beginnings of
Neoclassical Architecture:
 Neoclassicism was a European movement
that dominated during the 18th century.
Expressing the order and rationalism of the
Age of Enlightenment, Neoclassical ideas
influenced music, theater, literature, and visual
arts.
 During this time, writings by the Renaissance
architects Giacomo da Vignola and Andrea
Palladio were widely translated and read.
These writings inspired appreciation for the
Classical Orders of Architecture and the
beautifully proportioned architecture of
Classical Greece and Rome.

10.  One important 18th century thinker, the
French Jesuit priest Marc-Antoine
Laugier, theorized that all architecture
derives from three basic elements:
the column, the entablature, and
thepediment. In 1753, Laugier published
a book-length essay that outlined his
theory that all architecture grows from
this shape, which he called the Primitive
Hut.

11.  The romanticization of simple forms and
the Classical Orders of Architecture spread to the
American colonies. Symmetrical Neoclassical
buildings modeled after classical Greek temples
were thought to symbolize principles of justice and
democracy. One of the most influential Founding
Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, drew upon Palladian
(ideas of Andrea Palladio) and Classical ideals
when he drew architectural plans for the new
nation, the United states. Jefferson's Neoclassical
design for the Virginia State Capitol (1788) in
Richmond, Virginia has been called one of theTen
Buildings That Changed America.

12. Famous Neoclassical
Buildings:
 The US Capitol
 The White House
 Jefferson's Monticello
 The US Supreme Court Building

13. About Neoclassical Houses:
 The word Neoclassical is often used to
describe an architectural style, but
Neoclassicism is not actually any one
distinct style. Neoclassicism is a trend, or
approach to design, that can incorporate a
variety of styles. Although you may
associate Neoclassicism with grand public
buildings, the Neoclassical approach has
also shaped the way we build private
homes. You'll find Neoclassical ideas in
these historic house styles:

14.  Greek Revival
These stately, pillared homes became
popular in the United States during the
1800s.
 Federalist
A Federalist building does not always
have imposing pillars, but its symmetry
and decorative details are classically
inspired

15.  Antebellum Architecture
Stately plantation homes built before
America's Civil War were often inspired
by classical architecture.
 Beaux Arts Architecture
In the late 1800s and early 1900s,
ancient Greek and Roman ideas were
combined with balustrades, balconies,
and lavish decoration.
