Virtue in Marble

Neoclassicism defined the visual language of Western institutional power:

• It rejected Rococo excess for classical simplicity and moral seriousness
• The excavations gave artists authentic Roman models for the first time
• David's paintings became revolutionary propaganda, fusing art with politics
• Its architecture became the default style for democratic governments

It claimed to be about timeless beauty, but it was really about power — the power to say "we are the true heirs of Rome" by building in Roman style.