Neoclassicism

M. Dwi Teguh Prasetya

15/384023/SA/18130

3. What’s the relation between neoclassicism, enlightenment age, and romanticism?

The age of enlightenment begun in 1685 until 1815 also called as the age of reason. After in
the previous period, the medieval age that really puts faith into existence of human being, this
period emphasized that human being should use empirical scientism rather than intuition,
reason over emotion to establish a system of aesthetics, ethics, government, art, and even
religion. The enlightenment thinkers suggested that reason or logic could free human being
from irrational superstition and religious authoritarianism that long had been pointed out as
the source of human suffering and death. The neoclassicism, however, coincides to take place
in the same time with age of enlightenment also share the same interest in reason, symmetry,
and logic with an addition to recall some classic Greek legacy. In the same timeline, in the
late 18th century we witnessed another movement but very different in nature from
neoclassicism, the romanticism. This is a spark of new idea, opposing the generally pure
rational fundamentalist of the world view. Romanticism movement is entangled with
intuition, emotion, and aesthetics beauty which is directly in the opposing view from
neoclassicism.

4. Are there one neoclassical movement in Europe?

Yes, there is. Neoclassical art, for instance, thrived in Europe and had become the most
prominent part of neoclassicism that successfully conquered Europe. Neoclassical painting
was centered in Rome, where many expatriate painters gathered around German art historian
Johann Winckelmann. Unlike the composition of typical baroque or rococo painted ceilings,
its composition is simple. It usually depicts only a few figures, in calm and static poses
mainly derived from antique statues. Another important figure would be Jacques-Louis
David, who is recognized as the great master of neoclassical painting. His painting by the
name of Oath of the Horatii (1784-1785, Louvre, Paris) celebrates the theme of stoic
patriotism. It tells a picture of three men, brothers, gesturing toward three swords held up by
their father as the women behind him seemingly look grief.
5. What does the term neoclassical refer to UK?

Neoclassicism was a specifically a revival form of classicism that emerged from about 1750,
bringing the Greek art, architecture to Britain again. In Britain it can be seen in the paintings
by Benjamin West, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and James Barry and in sculpture in the work of
John Flaxman. It also shows us the illustrations to Homer’s Odyssey as his main concern at
that time. Neoclassicism was also an important influence on architecture, for example St
George’s Hall Liverpool, or in Scotland (Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson), Euston Arch
(demolished), and the British Museum, in London. The literary movement however doesn’t
sporadically create a new style but still there was a degree of revival there. But still there is
quite significant change and it is distinguished by the notion of harmony, and social
equilibrium by imitation to Homer, Cicero, Virgil, and Horace.

6. Why is the term Neoclassical called Augustan literature?

The Augustan Age, the Neoclassical Age, and the Age of Reason are the other mentions to
the eighteenth century in English literature that has been called. The term 'the Augustan Age'
comes from the imitation and revival of the original Augustan writers, Virgil and Horace, by
many of the writers of the period. The major writers of the age were Pope and John Dryden in
poetry, and Jonathan Swift and Joseph Addison in prose. What they did was creating a link
between restoration age literature and the literary qualities that Augustan writers had in the
first place.i

7. What does Augustan literature cover?

The term, ‘Augustan' refers to King George I's desire to be compared to the first Roman
Emperor, Augustus Caesar, when poetry and the arts were supported and admired, and thus
flourished. Anyone educated in the eighteenth century would be familiar with the original
texts, since studying the classics was a central focus of the school curriculum.

That is, topics enfranchised in this era including pastoral poetry, satire, and parody are very
much employed in this period. The moral grounds are somehow drastically changed
compared to the previous age in which people laid out their basic foundation on reigiousity,
here it was that they employed individual reason and empiricism. Gulliver's Travels by
Jonathan Swift (1726, revised 1735), is an excellent example of Augustan literature,
characterized by parody and satire. In his work, Swift talks about particularity or
phenomenology who maintains on individual, firm reason over morality and social values.
8. What are the prevailing thoughts during the era of the Neoclassical literature?

Neoclassical literature remarked an empirical scientism to view the world as it is. Voltaire, a
prominent figure in this era, stated that ‘I think therefore I am’. The idea shifted from the age
of faith in which super-rational and metaphysical reality gauged by the philosophers,
including Newton himself, is very much banished and perceived as irrational. The thought
fell into individual reasoning that logic is pretty much what people need to possess.

9. Mention three literary characteristics of the Augustan lliterature?

There are some characteristics that distinguished Augustan literature from the rest. For
instance, it always deploys satirical epic or it could be mock epics. The augustan literature
commonly twisted their epic into a qualified satire. This also consists of their critics to
religious creed, especially Christianity and the church.ii

10. Do you think that Neoclassical literature bears on the politics of England? Give reasons to
your answers?

As a part of enlightenment age in which morality and philosophy were very much based on
reason, the neoclassical literature very much criticized the Britain politics as reflected in
several works. Gulliver’s travel by Jonathan Swift for example criticized the clash between
two political parties of the early 18th century, The Tories and the Wigs. Daniel Defoe for
instance also inserted a lot of critics in his books as mentioned in his journal.iii

i
https://www.shmoop.com/18th-century-augustans/
ii
An article written by Giorgio Gismondi accessed in https://www.slideshare.net/giorgia23771/the-augustan-
age-30244469

iii
https://www.encyclopedia.com/literature-and-arts/language-linguistics-and-literary-terms/literature-
general/neoclassicism