The eighteenth century was a time of major political upheaval, when the middle class grew larger, becoming richer and better educated, and demanded freedom from oppressive policies of the church and state In the United States of America, the Constitution also demanded a separation of church and state The ideals of the Enlightenment took root in Neoclassical art; artists working in the Neoclassical style looked to ancient Greece and Rome for their inspiration They abandoned the ornate opulence of the Baroque and Rococo periods and instead focused on creating clean, balanced compositions The figures in these artworks tended to be heroic, and the work typically carried a moral meaning.