Neoclassicism emerged as the dominant style of art in the later years of the eighteenth century. It was characterized as a school borrowed from ancient Greece and Rome – stylistic dependence on antique sources, and classical orders in architecture.
The “Founding Fathers” and Neoclassicism
Despite the intensifying hostilities with Britain from 1775 to 1781, American domestic architecture has been prominently connected to developments in England. Neoclassicism became the dominant style in the United States during the Federal Period (1783-1830) that emerged with the victory of the colonies in their War of Independence.
The “Founding Fathers,” particularly Thomas Jefferson wanted something that would represent the birth of the US – a liberated nation. Looking towards ancient Rome and its strong national identity that lasted for centuries, Jefferson chose Neoclassicism as the style that would define America.
Symbolism and ideals conveyed in Neoclassicism
A persuasive moralism praised virtues prevalently attributed to republican Rome which is the home of Neoclassicism: moral virtuousness, patriotism and bravery. It exuded a general longing for a noble and solemn mode of expression. According to Hoving (1999), this was a profoundly educational movement for its devotees believed that arts “could – and should – spread knowledge and enlightenment.”
Neoclassicism in the US
Thomas Jefferson, a passionate and zealous amateur architect, designed his Virginia residence, Monticello, in a style which was much influenced by British Palladian villas. His first house, constructed in the 1770s, was based on a design in Palladio’s Four Books of Architecture. In 1785, Jefferson had gone to Paris as the French ambassador of America. According to Stokstad (2004), Jefferson discovered there a sophisticated domestic architecture that made his home appear very provincial.
Despite elements that have French influences, the building’s simple structure and combination of temple front and dome still remain closer to English neoclassical architecture than to French-style buildings. Monticello is less grand than English stately homes because it used humbler materials in its construction such as brick with wooden trim, and columns formed of stuccoes and painted bricks. Besides that, it protracted a low-lying profile.
Works Cited
Farthing, Stephen (ed.). Art: The Whole Story. London: Thames & Hudson, 2010.
Hoving, Thomas. Art for Dummies. New Jersey: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 1999.
Stokstad, Marilyn. Art: A Brief History (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004.
