Spread of the Enlightenment

Center of Enlightenment In the 1700s, Paris

became the cultural and intellectual capital of Europe where people from all over the world came to study.

People began to gather and discuss the new enlightenment ideas socially. These new meeting places were called salons.

The Encyclopedia: Information Sharing

It was in one of these Paris salons, that a man named Diderot created a large set of books that compiled the knowledge of all the scholars and philosophers meeting.

The encyclopedia helped to further spread enlightenment ideas

Shift in Artistic Styles

BAROQUE (OLD) NEOCLASSICAL (NEW)

Grand and ornate style that was seen in the elaborate palaces of kings across Europe.

Simple and elegant style that borrowed from the ideas of Classical Greece and Rome.

Shift in Music Style There was a

movement from the dramatic symphonies of Johan Sebastian Bach and Friedrich Handel to lighter more elegant compositions by composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Some Monarch Embrace the Enlightenment

Frederick the Great of Prussia, Joseph II of Austria, and Catherine the Great of Russia embraced the enlightenment ideas and styles.

As a result, their countries prospered greatly in this period.