classical revival

Classical revival describes a renewed interest in or return to the artistic, architectural, or cultural styles of ancient Greece and Rome.

In architecture, it refers to buildings featuring columns, pediments, and symmetrical facades inspired by classical antiquity: The courthouse is a fine example of classical revival.

The term applies to periodic movements throughout Western history when artists and thinkers looked back to classical models for inspiration, from the Renaissance through 18th-century neoclassicism to 19th-century Greek Revival buildings.