Neoclassicism

Neoclassicism became especially influential from the mid-eighteenth into the nineteenth century. Archaeological discoveries and the study of antiquity renewed the use of columns, urns, laurel, medallions and disciplined silhouettes in buildings and objects alike.

When Neoclassicism is used as a style label, it points to a family of formal qualities and ideas rather than a fixed recipe. Periods and movements overlap, and a single work may draw on several styles.

The label becomes more precise when considered alongside date, composition, colour, materials and historical context. A style can inspire work long after its original period, so appearance alone does not date an object.