Neoclassical Sculpture

A reaction against the "frivolity" of the Rococo, Neoclassical sculpture depicts serious subjects influenced by the ancient Greek and Roman past.

Learning Objective

Explain what motifs are common to Neoclassical sculpture.

Key Points

Neoclassicism emerged in the second half of the eighteenth century, following the excavations of the ruins of Pompeii, which sparked renewed interest in the Graeco-Roman world.
Neoclassical sculpture is defined by its symmetry, life-sized to monumental scale, and its serious subject matter.
The subjects of Neoclassical sculpture ranged from mythological figures to heroes of the past to major contemporary personages.
Neoclassical sculpture could capture its subject as either idealized or in a more veristic manner.

Term

verism
An ancient Roman technique, in which the subject is depicted with "warts and all" realism.

Full Text

As with painting, Neoclassicism made its way into sculpture in the second half of the eighteenth century. In addition to the ideals of the Enlightenment, the excavations of the ruins at Pompeii began to spark a renewed interest in classical culture. Whereas Rococo sculpture consisted of small-scale asymmetrical objects focusing on themes of love and gaiety, neoclassical sculpture assumed life-size to monumental scale and focused on themes of heroism, patriotism, and virtue.

In his tomb sculpture, the Enlightenment philosophe Voltaire is honored in true Neoclassical form. In a style influenced by ancient Roman verism, he appears as an elderly man to honor his wisdom. He wears a contemporary commoner's blouse to convey his humbleness, and his robe assumes the appearance of an ancient Roman toga from a distance. Like his ancient predecessors, his facial expression and his body language suggest an air of scholarly seriousness.

Voltaire's tomb.

Panthéon, Paris.

Neoclassical sculptors benefited from an abundance of ancient models, albeit Roman copies of Greek bronzes in most cases. The leading Neoclassical sculptors enjoyed much acclaim during their lifetimes. One of them was Jean-Antoine Houdon, whose work was mainly portraits, very often as busts, which do not sacrifice a strong impression of the sitter's personality to idealism. His style became more classical as his long career continued, and represents a rather smooth progression from Rococo charm to classical dignity. Unlike some Neoclassical sculptors he did not insist on his sitters wearing Roman dress, or being unclothed. He portrayed most of the great figures of the Enlightenment, and traveled to America to produce a statue of George Washington, as well as busts of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and other luminaries of the new republic. His portrait bust of Washington depicts the first President of the United States as a stern, yet competent leader, with the influence of Roman verism evident in his wrinkled forehead, receding hairline, and double chin.

Jean-Antoine Houdon. Bust of George Washington (c. 1786)

National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC.

The Italian artist Antonio Canova and the Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen were both based in Rome, and as well as portraits produced many ambitious life-size figures and groups. Both represented the strongly idealizing tendency in Neoclassical sculpture. Canova has a lightness and grace, where Thorvaldsen is more severe. The difference is exemplified in Canova's Hebe (1800-05), whose contrapposto almost mimics lively dance steps as she prepares to pour nectar and ambrosia from a small amphora into a chalice, and Thorvaldsen's Monument to Copernicus (1822-30), whose subject sits upright with the a compass and armillary sphere.

Antonio Canova. Hebe (1800-05).

Hermitage State Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Bertel Thorvaldsen. Monument to Copernicus (1822-30).

Bronze. Warsaw, Poland.

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