Neoclassicism 

Neoclassicism was the movement that began in the late 18th century and early 19th century. It was a desire to rekindle the spirit and forms of classical art from ancient Greece and Rome. Neoclassicism was a reaction against Baroque and Rococo style that had dominated European Art during the early 18th Century. Neoclassical works were serious, unemotional and heroic. The paintings generally depicted subjects from classical literature and history using archaeologically correct settings and costumes. They used sombre  shadows with occasional brilliant highlights to communicate the moral narratives of self-denial and self sacrifice.  

An example of a neoclassical painter was Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. 

The Apotheosis of Homer, 1827

The Apotheosis of Homer is an oil painting that measures 13x17 Feet.  It was commissioned in 1826 as a ceiling decoration for the Louvre and was completed and exhibited in 1827. The painting is symbolic of Ingres's  belief in a hierarchy of timeless values that were based on classical precedent.  

Impressionist, 2013. [Online] Available at: <http://impressionist1877.tripod.com/neoclassicism.htm>

[Accessed 20th April 2013]

Visual Arts, 2013, History of Art. [Online] Available at: <http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/neo-classical.htm#definition> 

[Accessed 20th April 2013]