Eclecticism

Neoclassical style of art used from 1750 onwards. Architectures William Chambers (1723-1793) and the Adam brothers Robert, James and William developed this new kind of style.

While in the days before eclecticism came into being there was an emphasis on symmetry, order and on classical models, this came to an end and changed partly. Symmetry and order were still relevant but classical models were no longer used. Instead there was a mixture of different styles, for instance Chinese or oriental styles.

Robert Adam in his Preface to Works in Architecture of Robert and James Adam (1793) points out that the movement has to be beautiful and interesting like a picture. Thus, there were still the same rules but different aims leading to more diversity. Moreover, there was a trend to orientalism (in architecture as well as in literature) and the orient became a new topic and way of describing reality. Eclectic buildings were for example the Pagoda, the House of Confucius, and the Orangerie in Kew Gardens which were all designed by William Chambers.

Nevertheless not everybody valued this new form of style as for instance J. Shebbeare in his Letters on the English Nation (1756) who criticises eclecticism for its non-conformity with God's creation.

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Sources

Denvir, Bernard.The Eighteenth Century. Art, Design and Society. 1689-1789. London: Longman, 1983.

Summerson, John.Architecture in Britain 1530-1830. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1969.