For centuries, classical art stood as the stalwart cornerstone of Western culture, its enduring legacy shaped by artists who underwent rigorous training, with the human form serving as both the measuring device of their competence and the quintessential vehicle to express profound ideas. As Friedrich Leighton articulated in 1879, "We have within us the faculty for a range of emotions of vast compass, of exquisite subtlety, and of irresistible force, to which Art and Art alone amongst human forms of expression has the key." Yet, in the last hundred years, the landscape of artistic expression has undergone a transformative shift, as classicism made room for the rise of conceptual and abstract art.

Return to Form ushers in the resurgence of classical ideals through the works of exceptional artists: Nora Martin-Hall, Edgar Silva, Lucy Cui, and Brittany Ryan. Each of these contemporary artists pays homage to traditions of the past, adopting a classical approach in their creative endeavors. By way of the human form, these artists rethink how beauty is defined and reframe tenets of classicism in a contemporary landscape.