Neoclassicism and 19th Century Architecture

Author: (English) Robin Middleton, (English) David Watkin, translated by Xu Tiecheng et al.
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Features: France and Britain were the crucibles of new architectural styles in the 18th and 19th centuries. The first to emerge was Neoclassicism, followed by various styles including Neorenaissance and Neo-Gothic. This work presents a comprehensive overview of European architecture during that period in a highly innovative way. The authors consistently focus not only on analyzing various and individual architectural works but also, based on in-depth research, explore the impact of broader social changes and developments on architects and clients. The first five chapters of the book focus on the architectural history of France and Britain in the 18th century. France's rationalist tradition is linked to Cartesian philosophy, while Britain's garden architecture tradition is associated with empiricism. Together, these two traditions gave rise to experimental and fantastical architectural styles such as those by Bréard and Ledoux, and Dance and Soane. The last three chapters discuss how the Neoclassical style reached perfection and expanded to Germany, Scandinavia, Russia, Italy, and Greece, and even to North America. It then focuses on French and British architecture, the emergence of Neo-Gothic architecture, and how the rich theories of theorists spread.