We explain what classicism was, its origin and characteristics. Also, its main representatives and more.
The classicist movement manifested itself between the Baroque and Romantic historical periods.
What is classicism?
classicism is an artistic and cultural movement that had its peak between 1750 and 1820influenced by the aesthetic and philosophical values of Roman and Greek antiquity, hence the origin of its name, which alludes to classical art. In addition, it showed perfectionist tendencies in the representation of the human figure.
Classicism took place between the Baroque and Romantic movements, during the second half of the 18th century in which a series of historical events occurred that drastically changed the social paradigm, such as the French Revolution of 1789 and the beginning of a new era: the Contemporary Age.
See also: Neoclassicism
Origin of classicism
At the end of the Middle Ages, in the 15th century, a slow transformation of cultural values began that continued until the 17th century. It first occurred in Italy and then spread throughout Europe.largely due to the discovery of the printing press in 1440, which allowed us to move from manuscripts to printed texts, both literary and popular.
The transformation consisted of a revival of classical ideals that were taken as aesthetic and philosophical modelsthe anthropocentric influences of the intellectual movement humanism and in which the prevailing religious doctrine was left aside to prioritize the stories and characters of Greek mythology.
At first, classicist ideals predominated in Protestant countries and in France, which was mostly Catholic. As they became more widespread, they managed to put aside the elaborate style of the Baroque movement that predominated in Europe, especially in Catholic countries, such as Spain and Italy, and achieved notoriety and recognition as an artistic movement.
Characteristics of classicism
Classicism highlighted great deeds and mythological stories.
Classicism was a movement that represented historical and mythological events in a sober, rational way and without exaggerationwho stood out for his perfection in representations. In painting and sculpture he suppressed all imaginary ideas and the main focus was to highlight the harmony of the human body. His writing was characterized by its pedagogical quality through the narration of historical events and important people.
In theatrical works They recreated the tragic or heroic themes of Greco-Latin antiquity which were based on sacred rituals and the relationship with deities. Notable writers of tragedy, such as Jean Racine and Pierre Corneille, and comedy, such as Moliere, have been among the most notable.
Music of Classicism
Classicism gave rise to great classical music composers, such as Wolfgang Mozart.
Classical musical works were characterized by:
- A refined style, with harmonious melodies that respected a balanced and orderly structure, generally of four or eight bars. The musical rhythm was softer than that of the Baroque style.
- The comic opera emerged, combining music and theatre with plots referring to themes of everyday life, of a rather comic and tragic nature.
- The orchestra was formed as a characteristic of the classical musical style. It consisted of a group made up of a string section (violins, violas, cellos and double basses), winds (flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns), percussion (timbales, cymbals) and an orchestra conductor.
Painting and sculpture of classicism
Harmony in the human body was a fundamental value in classicist sculpture.
Both classicist painting and sculpture were characterized by their harmonious, balanced representations that respected the sense of proportion, dealing, in particular, with historical events and mythological scenes. The harmony and idealized forms of the human bodyas the Greeks and Romans had captured it, was the main axis in classicist art.
Classicist aesthetics were similar to those of the Baroque painting that preceded it, but they differed in what they represented. Baroque art prioritized emotion over reason in order to impact the observer, while classicist art sought to break with sensual and exaggerated ideology in order to better represent reality and highlight mythological concepts over the Catholic religion.
You may be interested in: Baroque painting
Literature of classicism
The literature of classicism was characterized by maintaining the principles and literary standards of Greco-Roman authors, mostly playwrights and poets, such as Aristotle.
Classicist authors wrote about what was dignified and true, in contrast to the baroque literary style, which was exaggerated and unreal.
The work of Nicolás Boileau was highlightedwhich showed criticism of contemporary literary figures and his admiration for Molière, Jean de La Fontaine and Jean Racine.
Architecture of classicism
Classicist architecture was characterized by a greater balance, both in the proportions between the base and the height and in the ornamentation, as opposed to the Gothic or Baroque style. Some examples of classical architecture are:
- The Puerta de Alcalá, in Madrid (1778).
- The National Prado Museum, in Madrid (1819).
- The Brandenburg Gate, in Berlin (1788).
- The Bourbon Palace, in Paris (1722).
- The Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, Russia (1801).
Representatives of classicism
Among the main representatives of classicism are:
- Nicolas Poussin (1594 – 1665). French painter considered the founder and one of the most prominent artists of the classicist movement.
- Jacques Stella (1596 – 1657). French painter whose work was characterized by the elegance of his sculptural figures and the use of sober tones.
- Claudius of Lorraine (1600 – 1682). French painter who began his work during the Baroque movement and then turned to the classicist style, standing out for his landscapes.
- Allan Ramsay (1713 – 1784). Scottish painter who was noted for his realistic works, especially portraits.
- Gaspard Dughet (1615 – 1675). Italian painter who stood out for his landscape works, especially the cultivated fields of Rome.
- Pierre Corneille (1606 – 1684). French playwright considered one of the greatest exponents of classical literature, especially of the dramatic genre.
- Jean Baptiste Poquelin or Molière (1622 – 1673). French playwright, actor and poet considered one of the best writers of universal literature.
- Jean de La Fontaine (1621 – 1695). French fabulist who stood out for his short stories and novels. His work, made up of twelve books of fables, is considered a model of that genre.
- Jean Racine (1639 – 1699). French playwright considered one of the best writers of classical theater in genres such as tragedy and comedy.
- Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770 – 1844). Danish sculptor who stood out for his marble sculptures and reliefs made in churches, tombs and temples.
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791). Austrian composer, pianist, violinist and conductor considered one of the most influential and geniuses in the history of classical music.
- Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827). German composer and pianist recognized for his works and for becoming a conductor of important orchestras, despite his health problems.