neoclassicism

/ˌˈnioʊˌklæsəˈsɪzəm/

Neoclassicism is a style of art that's inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. In 18th-century visual art and architecture, neoclassicism meant a return to simpler, more traditional forms.

Neoclassicism can be seen all over the Western world, most obviously in large, symmetrical buildings with columns — the White House is a great example of this style. The revival of traditional forms rooted in Classical Greek and Roman art affected everything from fashion and music to literature and visual arts, arising along with the Age of Enlightenment in the 1700s. The word neoclassicism updates classicism ("classic style") with the Greek neo, or "new."

Definitions of neoclassicism

1. noun

   revival of a classical style (in art or literature or architecture or music) but from a new perspective or with a new motivation
   type of:

   artistic style, idiom

   the style of a particular artist or school or movement

   arts, humanistic discipline, humanities, liberal arts

   studies intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills (rather than occupational or professional skills)