What is the name of the Western European Renaissance phase (roughly 1750–1830) characterized by renewed interest in Greek and Roman forms?

• A. Antiquarian
• B. High Renaissance
• C. Mannerist
• D. Neoclassical

Answer: (A)

A revival of classical Greek and Roman forms used to shape new architecture in Western Europe from about 1750 to 1830 defines this period. This is Neoclassical architecture. It grows out of Enlightenment ideals of order, rationality, and civic virtue, preferring clear geometry and restrained decoration over the drama of Baroque and Rococo. Designers turned to ancient temples and public buildings for proportion and language, using columns, pediments, entablatures, and smooth surfaces to create a sense of timeless clarity and civic dignity.

Antiquarian refers to scholars and collectors who studied or gathered antiquities. That interest helped spark neoclassical tastes, but it isn’t the architectural movement itself. The name that best describes the phase characterized by renewed engagement with Greek and Roman forms is Neoclassical.