Definition for Classicism
From Biology Forums Dictionary
Greek classicism (mid-5th century B.C.E) in architecture rests, as do all classical styles, on the principles of simplicity, harmony, restraint, proportion, and reason. It finds its best examples in temples like the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. This style is the prototype for buildings throughout western culture, and its balance comes from geometric symmetry and clean, simple lines. Many Greek temples of the classical style are peripteral—that is, surrounded by a single row of columns. The style employs Doric and Ionic orders, with the Corinthian order added in the 4th century B.C.E. Greek classicism in painting is seen exclusively in vases. The geometric nature of the designs of vase paintings in this style remains from the earlier Archaic, but there is a new sense of idealized, but lifelike, reality in figure depiction. Foreshortening (the contracting of lines to produce an illusion of projection in space) occurs, giving the figures a sense of depth that in some cases is strengthened by the use of light and shadow. Four characteristics define the style: (1) the figures are portrayed in simple line drawings; (2) the palette or color scheme is monochromatic—for example, red on black or black on red; (3) the palette depends on earthen tones; and (4) the subject matter is idealized and heroic. Greek classical style in sculpture began with the sculptors Myron and Polyclitus. The human figure is elegantly idealized, with subtle variation in fabric depiction. Balance departs from symmetry: the weight of the figure is slightly shifted to one leg, and the head turns away from the centerline. This produces an S-curve in the figure called contropposto stance. Greek classicism in theatre also pursues the ideals of simplicity, harmony, restraint, proportion, and reason. The playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides provide the only extant examples. Remains of Greek classical theatres dot the Mediterranean from Athens to Turkey and North Africa.