L1

• Neoclassical art, also called Neoclassicism and Classicism, a widespread and influential movement in painting and the other visual arts that began in the 1760s, reached its height in the 1780s and ’90s, and lasted until the 1840s and ’50s.
• Neoclassical was derived from the Greek word nèos, which means "new," and Latin word classicus, which means "of highest rank."
• Neoclassical art is the revival of the classical Greek and Roman antiquity.
• Neoclassical architecture is characterized by 

  symmetry

  simplicity

  clarity of form

  sober colors

  shallow space

  strong lines
• Jacques-Louis David embodied and became one of the most influential artists in this era.
• David was born into a wealthy family in Paris on August 30, 1748.
• When David was 9 years old, his father was killed and his mother left him with his architect uncles.
• Napoleon Bonaparte, later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French emperor and military commander who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars.
• Bonaparte was the leader of the French Republic as First Consul from 1799 to 1804, then of the French Empire as Emperor of the French from 1804 until 1814, and briefly again in 1815.
• Bonaparte’s political and cultural legacy endures as a celebrated and controversial leader.
• Bonaparte initiated many enduring reforms, but has been criticized for his authoritarian rule.
• Bonaparte is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history and his wars and campaigns are still studied at military schools worldwide.
• However, historians still debate whether Bonaparte was responsible for the Napoleonic Wars in which between three and six million people died.