The expression of taste "à la grecque" is today commonly accepted to refer to the first phase of the vast neoclassical movement that emerged in France around 1750, in the final years of the long reign of Louis XV, and extended quite late into the first half of the 19th century.

This artistic current, which was accompanied in the scholarly world by a return to Greek studies, notably with the publication, in 1749, of Mably's "Observations on the Greeks," caused a stir in France during the third quarter of the 18th century. It was based on the rejection of the extravagant and outdated rococo forms, a pronounced return to the noble simplicity of antiquity, and the use of a decorative repertoire and themes drawn from Greek architecture.

It originated among sculptors and architects and then abundantly developed after 1750 in the decorative arts and finally in painting. Curiously, this new artistic current emerged at a time when knowledge of ancient Greek art was still often confused and diluted in the apprehension of a poorly differentiated Greco-Roman world.

In France, the "à la grecque" taste was accompanied in many areas by a return to the grand taste of the Louis XIV era, considered by many artists and critics as a true golden age of the arts and letters, which gave it a very particular character.

— Marie-Laure de Rochebrune