The Re-birth of Classicism
A revival of classicism in architecture, with its emphasis on symmetry and geometry, emerged in Italy during the renaissance, or re-birth (c1400-1600). The buildings of ancient Rome, many of which were then still standing, inspired ordered arrangements of columns and lintels along with arches, niches and domes in renaissance structures. St Peter's in Rome, designed by Michaelangelo and considered the finest building of its time, drew heavily on classical forms. The irregularity and complex forms of medieval buildings fell from favour as the craze for classicism quickly spread from Italy to France, England, Germany, Russia and elsewhere.
The classical orders of ancient Greece and Rome were codified in the 16th century and the architect Andrea Palladio established a style of architecture called Palladianism. His villas were of symmetrical form with pediments, columns and domes, embellished with adaptations of Roman-style figures, masks and shells. His ideas were adopted by English architect Inigo Jones in the 17th century, and in the early 18th century by Lord Burlington, William Kent and the Scot Colen Campbell, whose neo-Palladian designs provided the foundations for a revival of classicism in Britain.
The Italian renaissance also revived classical ideals in painting and sculpture. Once these art forms were released from the medieval constraints of depicting only religious subjects, the re-discovery of Greek and Roman myth and allegory provided a rich source for 16th century artists such as Titian and Raphael. Classicism among painters perhaps reached its highest achievements in the 17th century at the hands of French artist Nicolas Poussin.
