Neoclassicism held sway for roughly eighty years (1750 to 1830). This style originated in France, and than spread in all directions (Sidney, St Peterburg, Philadelphia etc.). It is known that Napoleon’s favorite style in art was neoclassicism. If we look back, we can see that everything in that time, from the middle of 18th  to mid 19th century were dominated by one style: Neoclassicism. Houses, churches, museums, banks and shops were designed in that new style which penetrated all levels of society.

We can use David Irwin’s  periodization of neoclassicism, which he divided  in three phases:

1.From 1750 to 1790 was the age of the Grand Tour.

2. From 1790 to 1830 Neoclassicism become more influenced by ancient Greece (rather than Rome).

3. Final phase is from 1830.

The first period is marked as Grand Tour. In that time most of the intellectuals were educated. Grand Tour actually is traveling across the Italy. British travelers were predominant, fewer came from France and Germany.  Famous travelers were Robert Adam, who were British architect,  Joseph Addison, the famous essayist, and Lady Anna Miller who was to take a leading part in the social and literary part of Bath. Addison wrote Remarks on Several parts of Italy, and that book found its way into luggage of many travelers.

Travelers  hoped to invest in their future success by gaining knowledge and skills. the aristocracy and  gentry treated their tour as continuation of their education.  Grand Tour was both a real journey and a journey of ideas, therefore travelers were interested in seeing Italian landscapes, classical antiquities, cabinets of curiosities etc.

Grand tour should began at the age of twenty. By that age travelers should gain knowledge in all sorts of educational curriculums.  They mostly visited Florence, Rome and Naples. When Pompeii and  Herculaneum were discovered many travelers went in the bay of Naples.

Travelers mostly visit ruins and marble fragments, they liked Colosseum, roman baths. Even Goethe records walking through ruins in Rome. The Vatican was at the center of any tourist’s site-seeing in Rome, with the St Peter’s church, Sistine chapel. By time, new museums were needed, so, Capitol got new museum as well as Vatican. Museo Pio-Clementino was named after two popes responsible for erecting museum. Vatican collections and so many other private collections were well displayed. Two most famous sculptures in that time were the Apollo Belvedere and Laocoön. Popularity of these two sculptures were due to Winckelmann’s writing about them, so tourist already known about them by engravings and plaster casts.

In that time, from 1750 to 1790, active architect were Ledoux, Boulle, Soufflot in France, Adam in Britain and Piranesi in Italy. History painting were made by Benjamin West, Jacques-Louis David.

The second period saw the neoclassical  style change in character, becoming more austere, influenced by ancient Greece rather than Rome. Neoclassical themes use art as patriotic propaganda of the time of French revolution and Napoleonic period. In that period David made his very important paintings Death of Marat and Death of le Pelletier. They became martyrs of the Revolution.

Among the architects were Soane in Britain and Schinkel in Germany where he created a modern Berlin.  Neoclassicism became influential style in the United States,  together with British colonies in India and Australia.

The third period is from 1830 to the present day. Neoclassicism nevertheless continued to exert in influence. We can now see neoclassicism in Crystal Palace from 1851. and some building erected during the Hitler’s reign, in Japanese architecture etc.

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