Classical Art as a Source of Inspiration for Modern and Contemporary Artists



We usually consider modern and contemporary art to be a radical break from classical art, that is, art from the Renaissance to the 19th century. Classical art is figurative; it attempts through the imitation of nature to give the illusion of reality.

In the mid -19th century a group of artists broke from this tradition, and paved the way for several revolutions. From the Impressionism to conceptual art, art went through many significant transitions. The distance between the famous "Mona Lisa" and Marcel Duchamp's “Fountain” is vast. Art is no more an exceptional realisation, but an idea which can be conveyed by an industrial object.

This idea of a radical change, however, is now often being challenged. Since 1989, several exhibitions, such as “les Magiciens de la terre ",, "Picasso et les maîtres " in 2006 or "Gothique" in 2025, have shown that modern or contemporary artists have never stopped borrowing from classical art. For many , including those from Asian and Africa, Classical art has been an ongoing source of inspiration. .



Required text:

André MALRAUX, Le musée imaginaire, essai Folio Gallimard, ISBN 978-2-07-032948-9