Art as the "Visual Manifesto" of the Revolution: The Iconographic Representation of Ancient Greek and Roman "Civic Virtue" and "Republican Spirit" by Neoclassicism and the Construction of the Ideology of the French Revolution

Abstract

Both Neoclassicism and the French Revolution emerged from the ideological foundation of the Enlightenment, with the core being the absolute advocacy of "reason" and opposition to feudal autocracy and religious ignorance. This thesis mainly examines how Neoclassicism, with classical models as its carrier, visualized civic virtue to mobilize revolutionary spirit, visualized republican spirit to justify the legitimacy of the French Revolutionary regime, and explores the communication practices and social impacts of these visual symbols. The purpose is to investigate the specific political role played by Neoclassical art during the French Revolution—how it served as a powerful "visual manifesto" to proactively participate in and shape the ideology of the revolution. This thesis adopts a review approach, with research objects including Neoclassical artworks and the ideology they represent; the core method is iconological research, and the data includes visual works, academic monographs, and documents. During its development in France, Neoclassicism successfully transcended being a mere artistic style. It played a crucial role as a visual manifesto, transforming the abstract concepts of civic virtue and republican spirit into a visual language system, thereby effectively serving the construction and dissemination of revolutionary ideology.