15 characteristics of NEOCLASICISM in the literature

In the middle of the 18th century, Neoclassicism emerged, an artistic trend that influenced all artistic disciplines and, also, the literary arts. Its influence lasted for a whole century and the objective pursued by neoclassical artists was to restore the values ​​of the classics while giving them a contemporary and current touch. They resorted to the models of antiquity in order to establish the foundations of modern society. In this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to talk about main characteristics of Neoclassicism in literature So that, thus, you can better know what this artistic movement was based on and how it came to influence the art that was cultivated from the 19th century.

Before starting to talk about the characteristics of Neoclassicism in literature, it is important that we let us stop for a moment to know the meaning of the Neoclassic movement in the arts and in the literature. At the beginning of the XVIII this stream appeared in Europe which aimed to overcome the excesses of the

Baroque Y recover the values ​​of the classics. Baroque aestheticism was, now, replaced by the rationality of the Enlightenment, an art that bet on artistic works that stimulated the human mind, knowledge and reason.

Neoclassicism arose in Italy and in FranceIn fact, Napoleon contributed to the diffusion of this current since he supported the neoclassical artists who were they were based on Aristotle's premise of "mimesis," that is, the faithful and objective reproduction of reality.

Origin of Neoclassicism

In order for the neoclassical movement to take effect in the society of the 18th century, 3 historical facts that were very important:

• Illustration: the Illustration and Neoclassicism go hand in hand and it is that one could not exist without the other. The enlightened were people who defended reason over emotion and who bet on scrutinizing reality in scientific processes to try to understand everything.
• Interest in Greco-Latin culture: this came given, above all, because archaeological remains of Pompeii of Herculaneum were discovered. This finding caused a strong interest in the classics to be felt again and the artists of the time turned their eyes to these ancient creators.
• Industrial Revolution: this historical fact made society become more materialistic and lived at a different pace. The bourgeoisie began to make its appearance in the leading classes and, with them, its will to understand the world from knowledge, science and research.

We are going to enter fully to know the most important characteristics of NeoclassicismIn this way, we will better understand what this aesthetic consisted of and how you can detect if a work is part of this eighteenth-century current.

Art based on reason and progress

The neoclassicals wanted to put reason and human knowledge first when making their artistic works. Unlike the Baroque, Neoclassicism bet on a conscious, objective and realistic art that invited us to reflect on the society of the moment and its progress. It was considered a progressive art that went beyond the previous sentimentality to provide a new and simpler vision of reality.

Didactic intention

The goal of the neoclassicals was to instruct the people and provide society with education. The moralizing purpose of neoclassical works is very evident and the artists sought to build a more modern and progressive society. The artists filled their works with moral and cultured values ​​to fight against ignorance. The values ​​defended by the neoclassicals had a lot to do with those that were achieved during the French Revolution: freedom, fraternity and equality. But, in addition, they also promoted classic values ​​such as honor, heroism and patriotism.

Return to the classics

One of the most outstanding characteristics of Neoclassicism is that the authors bet on a return to the artists of Antiquity. They considered that these artists could be a good ethical and moral model that would fill society with good values ​​and ideas. During the RenaissanceThis return to the origins has already been experienced but, in this case, the neoclassicals resorted to the classics in order to update them to create your modern project; that is why they are known as neo-classics (the new classics).

Importance of reason versus emotion

This is another of the most well-known and important characteristics of Neoclassicism. Influenced by the Enlightenment, these artists put their emotions aside to bet on a type of art that worshiped reason, since they believed that it was the secret to be able to build a more civilized and modern.

Neoclassical universality

Although at this time nationalisms began to emerge, the truth is that neoclassical artists sought universality in their works in order to include all types of audiences. Works that were committed to spreading universal values ​​accepted by society that seemed to pursue the objective of building a universal secular and republican state.

Neoclassicism themes

Due to the rational, objective and moralizing character of the movement, neoclassical artists tried topics such as politics, ancient history, Roman mythology, the French revolution, society, etc. In general, the ancient past was idealized as the model to follow and the values ​​to spread among the citizens, therefore, there are many references to the myths and legends of the Greek Empire or the Empire Roman.

Neoclassicism in literature

More specifically, we are now going to discover the characteristics of Neoclassicism in literature so that you can see how this movement affected letters. The most prominent elements are the following:

• Authors very focused on creating works with great elegance in form
• Essays and texts that convey moralizing ideas abound
• Predominant themes: honor, passions and the duty of the citizen
• Simple language to reach a greater number of readers
• Easy to read, clear and neat texts

Now that you have known the characteristics of Neoclassicism, we are going to end the lesson by mentioning some of the most important neoclassical authors of the period, as well as their works. The works of neoclassical literaturea are as follows:

1. Daniel Defoe and his "Robinson Crusoe"
2. Jean de la Fontaine and "The Fables"
3. Jonathan Swift and "Gulliver's Travels"
4. Alexander Pope and "Essay on Man"
5. José Cadalso and "Letters Marruecas"
6. Montesquieu and "The spirit of the laws"
7. Voltaire and "The Death of Caesar"