France of Louis XIV / Classicism       Classicism The flowering of classicism coincides almost perfectly with the glorious period of the reign of Louis XIV, between 1661 and 1685. Whereas a large part of Europe follows the baroque movement, France, under an absolute monarchy, turns toward unity, order, stability, the relative absence of freedom and a certain standardisation. A simplistic summary would show that classicism opposes the diversity, disorder, extravagance and liberty that are characteristic of the baroque. French classicism is present in all forms of art; literature, theatre, painting, and architecture, even though some try to distance themselves, independent and isolated in the face of this general movement. Classic architecture inspired by antiquity is grandiose and majestic, with pure and symmetrical lines. When combined in the brilliant equation with the art of landscaped gardens, they produce the model that is Versailles. Literature and the theatre are marked by clarity and attention to detail; reason must prevail over imagination which could lead toward the excessive and the uncontrollable. Classicism, made of rules and moderation, thus finds schools of “ good taste ” in its image, that is to say the Academies. They blossom in the 17th century, be it that of architecture (1671), sculpture and painting (1648) or the “ Académie de France ” in Rome. The French Academy, slightly anterior, contributes to the development of a clearer, more rational, concise and eloquent French language. In society, the ideal of life is the one that embodies the honest man. Contrary to many artistic or intellectual movements that spanned several European countries and which drew development and variations from each other, classicism did not find such fertile ground outside France. Influences existed but this style remained incontestably attached to the personality of Louis XIV, who controlled its every nuance.