The Return of the Gods: Neoclassicism and the 18th-Century Obsession with Antiquity

In the age of revolutions, artists looked backward to move forward. Neoclassicism revived the ideals of ancient Greece and Rome—not just in style, but as a blueprint for reason, virtue, and political change. Explore how 18th-century artists like Jacques-Louis David, Angelica Kauffman, and Antonio Canova transformed myth into modern meaning.