por What is neoclassical architecture?
The neoclassical architecture It is an architectural style developed in Europe during the 18th and early 19th centuries. This type of architecture, in its purest form, was characterized by the revival of classical or Greco-Roman architecture.
Neoclassical architecture arose as a reaction to the Baroque, where there was an excess of ornamentation.
It was characterized by the grandeur of the scale, the simplicity of the geometric forms, the Greek orders (especially the Doric), the use of columns and the preference for white walls.
At the beginning of the 19th century, almost all the new architecture in most countries of Europe, colonial Latin America, and in the United States reflected the neoclassical spirit.
Origin of neoclassical architecture
As a reaction to the Baroque, Neoclassicism functioned as a kind of correction to the extravagance characteristic of the first style.
It was perceived as a synonym for «returning to the purity» of the classical arts, to the ideal perception of ancient Greek arts and to a lesser extent to the Renaissance classicism of the 16th century.
The Roman architect Vitruvius was the one who theorized about the three great Greek orders (Ionian, Doric and Corinthian) and was the reference for architects to establish the renewal of ancient forms, from the second half of the 18th century until approximately 1850.
Influence of Palladian architecture
The return to the new classical architectural style was detected in the European architecture of the 18th century, represented in Great Britain by Palladian architecture.
The Baroque architectural style that was produced in Europe was never liked in England, which is why the idea of highlighting the purity and simplicity of classical architecture arose.
Palladianism was due to the Italian architect Andrea Palladio and spread through Europe in the 18th century, where it directly influenced the rise of neoclassical architecture.
Illustration
The 18th century was known as the Age of Enlightenment or the Enlightenment. In fact, neoclassicism is the art par excellence that emerged in the Enlightenment.
In this sense, constructions that contributed to human improvement proliferated, such as hospitals, libraries, museums, theaters, parks, among other buildings for public use, all designed with a monumental character. It was a reflection of the deviation from the religious towards the human.
Critical movements arose that defended functionality in architectural spaces, which should also be practical, not merely decorative.
The architects of this period started from the common assumptions of rationality in construction and a return to the past: the buildings of Greece and Rome became benchmarks.
In addition, the excavations of the Irishman William Hamilton, who discovered Greco-Roman ruins, amazed the architects of the time. From then on, it was almost mandatory for an architect to travel to Italy and be in direct contact with these ruins.
Characteristics of neoclassical architecture
– Shows basic elements of classical architecture. The columns present the Doric and Ionic architectural orders of ancient Greece.
– Presents independent columns with clean and elegant lines. They were used to carry the weight of the buildings structure, and later as a graphic element.
– The Doric columns were characterized by being associated with masculine divinities, unlike the Ionic ones, associated with the feminine.
– The facade of the buildings is flat and long; they often present a screen of independent columns with no rooks.
– The exterior was built with the intention of representing classical perfection, as are the doors and windows, built for the same purpose.
– Exterior decorations were minimal.
– The sculptural bas-reliefs were framed in friezes, panels or tablets, and were flatter.
– Influenced the planning of the city. The ancient Romans used a consolidated scheme for city planning, logical and orderly, which was later imitated by the neoclassicals.
– Many of these urban planning patterns were applied in the first modern planned cities of the 18th century. Exceptional examples include the German city of Karlsruhe and the US capital, Washington DC.
In France
The neoclassical style in France was born in the 18th century as a response to archaeological excavations carried out in the ancient Roman cities, Herculaneum, and Pompeii, which made classical designs known.
From there, some excavations began in the south of France with the idea of finding remains from Roman times. These discoveries aroused interest in Antiquity. In addition, illustrated publications were produced and read by experienced aristocrats and architects.
The theory is used that French neoclassical architecture arose with the creation of the Place de la Concorde in Paris, characterized by its sobriety, and with the Petit Trianon in Versailles (simple and free of excessive decoration), designed by the architect Ange- Jacques Gabriel.
It was a dominant style in the reign of Louis XVI until it was replaced by romanticism.
Development of neoclassical architecture in France
Around the 1740s, French taste gradually changed and interior decorations became less and less extravagant, typical of the Baroque and Rococo style.
At that time, French architects traveled to Italy to have direct contact with the newly discovered Roman ruins. This practice prompted the construction of buildings in the classical style.
In the last years of Louis XV and throughout the reign of Louis XVI, the neoclassical style was already present in the royal residences and in most of the salons and residences of the Parisian aristocracy.
The geometry of the plant, the simplicity in the volumes of the buildings, the limited decorations and the use of ornaments inspired by the Greco-Roman, prevailed in neoclassical architecture in France.
In addition, Greek friezes, garlands, palm leaves, scrolls, etc. were used.
With the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte to power in 1799, the so-called late neoclassical architecture arose; among the most influential architects were Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, who were appointed official architects.
The architectural projects for the new emperor were marked by neoclassical characteristics.
In Spain
As in France, Spain was motivated by the beginning of neoclassical architecture after the expeditions and archaeological excavations in Herculaneum and Pompeii, and as a way of rejecting the Baroque.
The Baroque was interrupted when the Habsburg dynasty was replaced by the Bourbon dynasty under King Philip V. When Philip V installed himself on the Spanish throne, he brought with him artistic and intellectual traditions from France.
In the second half of the 18th century, more properly, the taste for the neoclassical prevailed. This happened thanks to the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts, an institution where artists were trained.
The introduction of architecture in Spain had the same point in common with other European countries: interest in the classical, in archaeological excavations and in the rejection of Baroque and Rococo architecture.
Development of neoclassical architecture in Spain
Although the first architectural works were carried out under the reign of Fernando VI, it flourished under the reign of Carlos III and even in the reign of Carlos IV.
The Enlightenment project of the time included architecture not only for specific interventions, but also as urban planning.
For this reason, improvements were developed in sewage services, streets with lighting, hospitals, water connections, gardens, cemeteries, parks, among other public works.
The intention was to provide the towns with a more noble and luxurious aspect motivated by the neoclassical.
Carlos III’s program intended to turn Madrid into the capital of arts and sciences, which is why large urban projects were developed.
The main urban project in Madrid is the Prado Hall, designed by Juan de Villanueva, as well as the Royal Astronomical Observatory, the old San Carlos Hospital, the Botanical Garden, the current Prado Museum, the Cibeles fountain and the Neptune fountain .
Representatives of neoclassical architecture and their works
Francesco Sabatini (Italian, 1721-1797)
Francesco Sabatini studied architecture in Rome. He established his first contacts with the Spanish monarchy when he participated in the construction of the Palace of Caserta for the King of Naples and Carlos VII.
When Carlos III ascended the Spanish throne, he called Sabatini to carry out large-scale architectural works.
Sabatini’s works are included in the neoclassical tradition. One of its most important buildings was the Puerta de Alcalá in Madrid.
The Gate of Alcala
The Puerta de Alcalá is a royal gate erected as a triumphal arch to celebrate the arrival of King Carlos III in Madrid.
It was designed in 1764. It is currently one of the symbols of Madrid and cataloged as a neoclassical monument, located in the Plaza de la Independencia in Madrid. It is considered the first modern post-Roman triumphal arch built in Europe.
The gate has a height of approximately 19.5 meters, three large arches and two smaller rectangular corridors. The façade presents a series of decorative elements with groups of sculptures, capitals and typical neoclassical reliefs.
Jacques Germain Soufflot (French, 1713-1780)
In the 1730s he attended the French Academy in Rome, being one of the young French students who was part of the first generation of neoclassical architects.
He returned to France and built in Lyon, then went to Paris to build a series of architectural works. The Soufflot feature consisted of an arches joined between flat Doric pilasters, with horizontal lines, which were accepted by the Lyon Academy.
His most outstanding work is the Panthéon in Paris, built from 1755.
A Paris pantheon
The Pantheon in Paris was built between 1764 and 1790. It has been recognized as the first important monument in the French capital. It is located in the Latin Quarter, near the Luxembourg Gardens.
At first, the construction was directed by Soufflot and finished with the architect Jean Baptiste Rondelet in 1791.
Originally, it was built as a church to house reliquaries, but after many changes over time, it was converted into a secular mausoleum containing the remains of famous French citizens.
The Pantheon in Paris is a notorious example of neoclassicism, with a façade similar to the Pantheon in Rome.
References
Neoclassical Architecture, publishers of Encyclopedia Britannica (n.d.). Taken from britannica.com
Neoclassical Architecture, Wikipedia in English (nd). Taken from Wikipedia.org
Neoclassical architecture in Spain,…