The neoclassical period is best defined by its emphasis on reason, order, and logic. This was a time when people wanted to connect with the past in order to get a better understanding of what they could do in the present. Neoclassical artists were inspired by Ancient Greece and Rome, and sought to revive the styles of those cultures in their own work.
Neoclassicism was marked by orderliness, symmetry, and simplicity. Artists during this period did not want to experiment much with their mediums or techniques; they wanted to find ways to express universal truths through their work using basic tools like paintbrushes and canvases.
The neoclassical period saw the development of new artistic genres such as landscape painting and history painting. During this time period there was an increased interest in scientific knowledge and technology—things we would now call “facts.” This led many artists towards realism: showing things as they actually exist instead of how they appear visually (i.e., a tree looks like an upside-down U shape but it’s actually made up of branches).
Reason and logic were highly valued during this time period because it was believed that these qualities could lead us towards truth more easily than emotions or feelings could (such as love). This is why we
