Neo-classicism came to the fore in the late 18th century, emerging as a reaction to the decorative painting and light-hearted, courtly themes of painters like Watteau and Boucher. In contrast, Neo-classicism aspired to elevate standards of taste through the praise of civic and domestic virtues. Born in Rome before spreading across Europe, Neo-classicism cultivates the ideal of classic beauty of Greek and Roman antiquity. In France, Vien will practice the first return to antiquity -- a return facilitated by the archaeological discoveries of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculanum in 1748 and documented by the German art historian Winckelmann. A former student of Vien’s, David, is considered to be the leader of this new school in France that remained active from roughly 1760 to 1840.
