ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Neoclassicism in France

Neoclassicism in France was a type of art that became popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was inspired by ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture, which had a very symmetrical and balanced style.

Imagine playing with blocks and building a castle. You want your castle to look very even and symmetrical, with everything in just the right place. That's what the artists who created neoclassical art were going for.

The artists used a lot of straight lines and geometric shapes in their paintings and sculptures. They also liked to use light colors, like cream and white, to give their art a clean and polished look.

Think of playing with your colored pencils, and you want to draw a picture of a beautiful vase. You make sure all of your lines are straight and even, and you use light colors to make the vase stand out against the background.

Neoclassicism in France was also influenced by the Enlightenment, a time when people were focused on using reason and logic to better understand the world. Neoclassical artists thought that ancient Greek and Roman art showed how people should strive for reason and order in all things.

So, imagine you are playing a big game of "Simon says" where you have to follow a set of logical and ordered rules. This is what the artists who created neoclassical art were aiming for too.

Overall, neoclassicism in France was a way for artists to bring back the beauty and structure of ancient art and to create something that was both simple and elegant.