Historicism or historism comprises artistic styles that draw their inspiration from recreating historic styles or imitating the work of historic artists and artisans. This is especially common in architecture, where there are many different styles of Revival architecture, which dominated large buildings in the 19th century. Through a combination of different styles or the implementation of new elements, historicism can create completely different aesthetics than former styles. Thus, it offers a great variety of possible designs.
Thomas Cole, The Architect's Dream, 1840
Schwerin Palace, historical ducal seat of Mecklenburg, now seat of state parliament, Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Germany – an example of historicism in architecture
Revivalism (architecture)
Architectural revivalism is the use of elements that echo the style of a previous architectural era that have or had fallen into disuse or abeyance between their heyday and period of revival. Revivalism, in a narrower sense, refers to the period of- and movement within- Western architectural history during which a succession of antecedent and remenescent styles were taken to by architects, roughly from the late 18th century, and which was itself succeeded by Modernism. Notable revival styles include Neoclassical architecture, and Gothic Revival. Revivalism is related to historicism.
One of the most famous Gothic Revival structures, Elizabeth Tower sits at the Palace of Westminster in London.
The Russian Revival-representing Uspenski Cathedral from 1868 in Katajanokka, Helsinki, Finland
Typical historicist house: Gründerzeit building by Arwed Roßbach in Leipzig, Germany (built in 1892)
1862 lithograph of the Aegyptischer Hof (English: Egyptian court), from the Neues Museum (Berlin), built in the Neo-Egyptian style