The American Period

For this last period, I took a look at Justine's blog. I appreciated her interest in the Victorian period becaus eit did teach me a few things that I didnt know. I also liked how she gave visuals for the specifics that she talked about. In addition to Justine's blog, I also viewed Jessica's blog. Jessica focused on the Colonial period and cleared up the confusion between the dutch styles and the french styles.

The American Period

American Period is made up of several different periods. These periods include the Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, and the Victorian Period. The Georgian Period took place between 1720-1790 and was a replication of the Queen Anne styles. The Federal Period took place between 1790-1820 and used the Adam, Hepplewhite and Sheraton styles as inspiration. The Greek Revival Period took place between 1820-1860 and focused on "temple" style architecture. Lastly, the Victorian Period took place between 1840-1880 and was inspired by Romanesque, Gothic, Mansart and Louis XV design styles.

The Shakers believed that every object in the home should have a function and that decoration was unnecessary. 'Whatever is fashioned, let it be plain and simple and for the good' and 'Beauty rests on utility' are two of their favourite sayings. But because they also believed that the quality of their work was a testament to God, each item they made was painstakingly honed to perfection.

The Victorian Era is named after the period from 1837 to 1901, the length of the rule of Great Britain's Queen Victoria. American Victorianism was an offshoot of this period and lifestyle that occurred in the United States, chiefly in heavily populated regions such as New England and the Deep South. The name was derived from the reign of Queen Victoria, which reflected the heavy British cultural influence on the nation during the time. Architecture in the Victorian era was very elaborate, romantic, and emotional. The architecture of the house advertised the amount of money that the owner had. Houses were very large with many small rooms: each room had a particular function "a place for everything and everything in its place." Houses had ballrooms, morning rooms, sitting rooms, libraries, piano rooms, etc. Houses often were set in the middle or towards the back of lots. Many houses had two hallways and two staircases, one grand for company, and one plain for the children and servants. The staircase for guests allowed for dramatic entrances. The back halls and private rooms were not decorative and were plain with whitewash and wooden floors. The public areas of the house were displays of wealth and virtue.



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English: Discussion

For this period I viewed Justine's blog. After reading her blog, it showed that the same things during this period interests the both of us. However, the description that she gave about the furniture made it easier for me to distinguish the difference between the different times of furniture. I also viewed Katrina's blog. I liked how she touched bases on the early, middle, and late renaissance. It gave me a good overview of all three.

English Period

The English Renaissance took place between the late 1500s to the early 1800s. England was the last of the major countries to become involved since they were isolated from continental Europe. After some time, the English style became the "hodgepodge" of styles. Their inspiration stemmed from the Italian Renaissance due to books and works of art that were brought back to England.

The Middle English Renaissance took place between the years of 1660-1750. After the Great Fire of 1666, Sir Christopher Wren set new standards of design considered to be Baroque urban design. Sir Christopher Wren was one of the most celebrated English architects of all time due to his contributions to England. The French Baroque period was extremely influential to the English design. All specifications for housing such as wall thickness, floor heights, and materials was set by Wren.

The St.Peter Cathedral


An influential couple of the English period was Mary and William III. They set all of the furniture standards and trends for this period. During this period was sort of the first time upholstery showed up in the majority of the pieces.


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Modern Applications..

Here's a video...

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French: Discussion and Video

For the French period I viewed Megan's blog. I found Megan's discussion regarding the Salon de la familie to be quite interesting. She talked about how big of a statement piece it is and how it consists of many colorful ornamentations. I also took a look at Danas blog. She really focused on the French furniture and the large impact that it has on today's furniture.


Here's a video if you're interested in learning more...

French Baroque

In France, Louis XIV, also known as the "Sun King," built the government around his own person and used art and architecture in the service of the monarchy. The French monarchs ruled with absolute power, meaning that there was little or no say so on what they could and could not do. The King also ruled, so it was believed, by divine right. The power to rule came from God. In an effort to use art in support of the state, Louis XIV established the Royal Academy of Fine Arts to control matters of art and artistic education by imposing a classic style as well as other regulations and standards on art and artists.

Louis XIV also built an opulent new palace, Versailles, which became the King's official residence in 1682. Versailles is 14 miles southwest of Paris and contains 700 rooms! It is probably impossible to get a sense of the enormity and luxury of Versailles without going there.

I really loved the famous Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors. Its a room with 17 mirrors facing the windows that look out onto gardens. The ceiling of this room is decorated with paintings displaying the virtues and achievements of Louis himself. Louis XIV eventually invited the higher French aristocrats to live there and wait upon him. And so Versailles was not just a place to live, it became the symbol of the French monarchy itself. Therefore, everything about the decor had to speak of the power and accomplishments of the King. Every aspect of the King's life was thoroughly ritualized, convincing everyone there of the incredible majesty of the King. The thousands of people who lived at Versailles also required entertainment, and so Versailles also became the seat of lavish spectacles including ballets, balls, hunts and receptions, all presided over by the King.

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Spanish Renaissance: Discussion and Video

For the beautiful Spanish period, I viewed Kristina and Samanatha's blog. Samantha's blog presented me with a ton of information on the Moors that I didn't know before viewing her blog. She also presented a understandable connection between the style then and today. Kristina's pictures that she posted of the buildings, castles, and different cathedrals is what made her blog post so interesting.

Here's a video to help you learn more about the Spanish period.

Italian Renaissance: Discussion

For this era, I'm going to discuss Natalie and Kristina P's blog post.

I love how in depth Natalie went on the furniture used during this time. She talked about how portable the furniture was. She also talked about the tresyle table. It was the most commonly used table and was able to be extended which served as a perfect dining table.

Kristina P's post taught me how it would be to live in a palazzo. She stated that it includes different shops, vestibule, kitchens, bathrooms, a grand staircase, and a piano noble. Her pictures also gave me a great visual versus using my imagination.

Spanish Renaissance

The Spanish Renaissance took place during the 16th century and was most definitely one of the biggest highlights of the Spanish history. The Italian Renaissance also played a role in influencing the Spanish. This is why it may be difficult to distinguish between the to. Although there are things that set them apart, the are still extremely similar. Spanish architecture was full of life, color, and geometrical elements. It's without a doubt, a sight to see. For example, the Alhambra's fountains, garden full of flowers, and dynamic reflective pool are all extremely beautiful. There were also three styles of the Spanish Renaissance. The Plateresco phase that took after the work of a silversmith, the Desornamentado phase, and the Herrera Style.

Here's a few pictures that I enjoyed looking at during this time...

Current applications...

Italian Renaissance

The Italian Renaissance was the period of rebirthing. (Renaissance mean "rebirth") This era took place between the 24th and 16th century. The rebirth took place in Florence, Siena, and Venice but it all started in Tuscany. Italian Renaissance architects based their theories and practices on Classical Roman examples. The Renaissance revival of Classical Rome was as important in architecture as it was in literature. A pilgrimage to Rome to study the ancient buildings and ruins, especially the Colosseum and Pantheon, was considered essential to an architect's training. Classical orders and architectural elements such as columns, pilasters, pediments, entablatures, arches, and domes form the vocabulary of Renaissance buildings.


Palazzo style refers to an architectural style of the 19th and 20th centuries based upon the palazzi built by wealthy families of the Italian Renaissance. The term refers to the general shape, proportion and a cluster of characteristics, rather than a specific design. In the 20th century, the style was applied, like the Gothic revival style, to multi-story buildings. In the late 20th and 21st century some Postmodern architects have again drawn on the palazzo style for city buildings.

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The Americas: Discussion

For this section I chose to view Dana and Samantha's blog. I've been enjoying my fellow classmates that have personal experiences blogs. Dana was already knowledgeable about the Americas because of her Spanish background. She is very familiar with the different cultures. I like how she targeted the Aztec design and excited to see what she learns when she visits Cancun this summer. Samantha's blog was interesting to me as well. I like how she really went in depth about the different civilizations within this period. I also enjoyed her current applications.

The Americas

After learning about the history of the Americas, I realized that it's much more complicated than I once thought. I found the Olmec to be most interesting within this period. The Olmec were the first civilization in the America. The name Olmec means "rubber people" in Nahuatl. It was the Aztec name for the people who once lived in this area, and extracted latex from rubber trees. The word Olmec also refers to the rubber balls, used for the ancient ball game.

Modern Applications (Aztec Interiors)...

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Gothic: Discussion and Video

For the Gothic period I viewed Dana and Emily's posts. I found Dana's post interesting because I was able to learn more about the black plague killing. I also found her current application pictures interesting. I never would have made that connection. Emily gave me a great review of the different design elements and having a picture to connect them to makes it easier for me to remember them. Emily really enjoyed the beautiful of these buildings and took her creativity to another level with her modern applications. My favorite modern application of hers was the black dress. We don't often realize that fashion designers can get inspiration from architecture as well.


Want to learn more about the Gothic period? Here's a video that I found interesting.

Gothic

This is the period that myself and Desiree' presented on a "Day in the Life". That project alone taught me a lot and proved my conception of the Gothic period wrong. My idea of the Gothic period was this dark period where it was normal for people to walk around in dark clothing because that's what today's "gothic people" look and dress like. However, I did find the daily life to be quite interesting. This period was based on religion and was essentially a continuation of the Romanesque period for a while until it developed it's own characteristics. Also, the things that they were punished for during this period was sickening. They would get brutally punished for hunting animals that the didn't own simply because they were trying to provide a meal for their family. They typically ate bread as their main course along with different meats. The architecture for this period was known for its tall and pointy houses or buildings with flying buttresses. Here's some of my favorites from this period below...

Modern applications..

Islamic: Discussion

For the Islamic period I viewed Rechael and Sam's blog. Rachael talked about how unique Islamic design in comparison to the other styles that we have learned about. She also pointed out how well they use the outdoor space. Sammy discussed how mosques during this time period commonly used bright colors. Her pictures for her current applications definitely showed the use of color and patterns.

Islamic

Islamic architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to the present day. What today is known as Islamic architecture owes its origin to similar structures already existing in Roman, Byzantine and Persian lands which the Muslims conquered in the 7th and 8th centuries.
Islamic architecture finds its highest expression in religious buildings such as the mosque and madrasah. Early Islamic religious architecture, exemplified by Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock and the Great Mosque in Damascus. Religious architecture came into its own with the creation of the hypostyle mosque in Iraq and Egypt. These brick-built mosques also incorporated domes and decorated squinches across the corners of the rooms. Ottoman architecture, derived from Islamic and Byzantine traditions, is exemplified by the Selimiye Mosque at Edirne. It is known for its great central dome and slender minarets. One of the best examples of secular Islamic architecture is the Alhambra.

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