Concept in Definition ABC

What movement artistic the concept of classicism is applicable to the architecture, to music, to the painting, to the sculpture and to most aesthetic currents. From a historical point of view there have been two great classical periods: in Greece and Rome in antiquity and, on the other hand, in Europe in the eighteenth century.

The classical world of Greece and Rome

The Greek-Roman civilization represents the paradigm of classicism. From the strictly artistic point of view, it was in sculpture and architecture where the ideals of this current were displayed. Sculptors like Fidias and Mirón in the 5th century BC. C create statues of gods and heroes from mythology in which the harmony of movements and proportions stands out. In architecture, the Parthenon in Athens dedicated to the goddess Athena is the synthesis of classicism.

Classicism of the 18th century

In the historical and cultural context of the Enlightenment, creators are inspired by the models and values aesthetics of the classical world of Greece and Rome and in the longing for a reason that eliminates any type of obscurantism. Thus, in this period the music is presented in simple, elegant melodies and with an orderly structure (Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn are three significant representatives of this movement). In the

theater Tragedy, satire and Greco-Latin comedy are recovered with authors such as Moliere or Racine.

In the painting the Greek and Roman myths are rescued to convey a teaching moral and in relation to technique there is a predominance of symmetry (the Frenchman Jacques-Louis David, the English Thomas Gainsborough or the Italian Annibale Carraci are three illustrious examples of classicism in painting). The architects of the 18th century reacted against the aesthetic values ​​of the Baroque and gave priority to the functionality and simplicity, two issues that are inspired by the rationalist approaches to his epoch.

The term classicism in the history of art has several meanings

This concept can be understood in several ways:

1) as opposed to Romanticism,

2) in relation to any aesthetic proposal inspired by the values ​​of Greece and Rome,

3) to refer to the ideals of perfection in any artistic manifestation and

4) to allude to the traditional values ​​of Western civilization. On conclusionWhen we use the term classicism, it is necessary to specify what we are referring to.

Photos: Fotolia - Luisfpizarro / Barriocanal

Topics in Classicism