In art and architecture, classicism is a term used to refer to a style that has affinities to the visual vocabulary of the Greco-Roman era. This style adheres to the Greco-Roman ideal of beauty achieved through harmony of proportions, simplicity of ornamentation, and emotional restraint. The artist of the Renaissance who best exemplifies the adoption of classicism in painting is Raphael. In sculpture, it was Lorenzo Ghiberti who reintroduced classicism to the field by studying ancient prototypes, while in architecture, Filippo Brunelleschi was the first to reject Gothic forms in favor of an ancient vocabulary and rational principles of construction.
Historical dictionary of Renaissance art. Lilian H. Zirpolo. 2008.