Reading Comprehension: Four

Alyssa Hankus

IAR 222

10/18/10

[1] Just as we learned with Gothic cathedrals, in the context of each PLACE, the other scales of analysis (ARTIFACT, SPACE, and BUILDING) each demonstrate difference. For each scale on the readings rubric above, EXPLAIN at least one common design language that links them all. Use the principles and elements of design as defined for this class in your response. Explicitly tie the Roth reading to your analysis, using at least one cited quote. [10 points possible]

[Artifact]

A common theme across the artifacts, spaces, buildings, and places is their classical language. Of the artifacts the Desk/bookcase, the Windsor chair, the Tall Clock, the State Bed, and the Sheraton Side Chair have intricacy, high ornamentation, symmetry, order, and classical language with the presence of swags, urns, and floral motifs such as rosettes and wreaths run rampant among all. "There were no classical ruins in the New World from which Americans could learn something of what made for good design," thus the new settlers drew from previous experience, and replicated what they knew; the Old World (Roth, p. 459).

[Space]

The Holkham Hall Saloon had high ornamentation, dynamic texture, contrasting wall patterns and upholstery with scale, and broken pediments (Harwood, p. 418). The Gunston Hall used stairs as an architectural element to be celebrated as well as to serve a function. The staircases unlike before became their own space utilizing symmetry, balance, repetition, and order. They made their own statement. This was copied in the Gardner Pingree House as well.  The Gardner Pingree house had subdued ornament as opposed to high ornamentation of previous classical language. It was taking on a new form. However, it maintained symmetry, swags, urns and other classical motifs. The Saltram House Saloon functioned as a parlor, was highly patterned, compartmentalized, and had a classical motif with its swags, symmetry, and a central arc window. Marie Antoinette's bedroom at Fountainbleau broke off from traditional classicism and introduced a sense of theatrics. However, it maintained order, except it was in a more chaotic manner. The eye has no safe place to land, and is constantly surveying the room. There were substantial amounts of high ornamentation.

[Building]

The Chiswick House was based on La Rotunda, but taking design risks, and taking further steps into forming complex geometric shapes. The building was not highly adorned or embellished, it had a sense of calm, focus on symmetry and geometry verses ornament. It embodied classism. The Drayton Hall mimics classical design through its doric columns on the bottom, ionic columns on the top, and its symmetry. However, unlike the Chiswick and how it took from La Rotunda with the superimposed circle on top the square base, the Drayton Hall placed a square on top of square. Its focus was on repetition, emphasis on entrance shown through the portico. St. Genevieve screams classical language taking from both Greece and Rome. It appears to resemble the Parthenon on base and the Tempietto San Pietro on top.  It has a large mass, and stature. The classic Corinthian order it interwoven around the structure, again speaking with classical language. The Nathaniel Russell House has repeating elements at different scales such as the windows. It appears to be based off of the Palazzo Medici, being that it appears to be built in three tiers going in order from public to private assuming your eye is moving from the bottom of the structure, upwards. Again, representing classicism.  Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson resembled both La Rotunda and the Chiswick House. It has an octagonal dome superimposed on a rectangular base. It has clerestory windows, a balustrade, symmetry, repetition, and axial progression.  However, it has more volume than traditional symmetrical architecture of its time. 

[Place]

Among all the places, London, England, Williamsburg, Virginia, Paris, France, New Town, Edinburgh, Scotland, and Washington, D.C. classicism was the common component.  Once there were settlements in the new world, and government was established, the ideals of the old world were still prevalent. People such as Thomas Jefferson took the ideas of Palladio and Vitruvius and implemented them into his own designs. Once the works of Palladio were published his ideas were borrowed and reproduced many times over. With that being said there were common threads among all of the settlements for that reason. People were reproducing the classics, with their own twist on them. By reproducing the classics is showed education, and status.

[2] Linked to Europe, the ARTIFACTS, echo closely their design forebears. Selecting evidence from all four scales for both the American Georgian periods, TRACE the common design ancestry across the Atlantic Ocean in the Neo-Palladian and Late Georgian periods of England and the Louis XVI/French Provincial period in France. ARTICULATE the implications of copying from Europe for the American colonies. Use the principles and elements of design as defined for this class in your response. Explicitly tie the Roth reading to your analysis, using at least one cited quote. [10 points possible]

[England]
Early design characteristics in Boston and New England America follow English medieval examples and were humble in scale, with a concentration on function verses fashion. An example of this would be the Parson Capen House. It relates back to medieval England, and its domestic homes with traditional framing methods, a steep pitched roof, a central chimney, small windows, and a plain exterior (Harwood, p.255). Another example would be the Hart house hall. It represents vernacular England with its medieval style. In this case it has a low-beamed ceiling, and its primary material is wood (Harwood, p.260). It has a simple/plain façade, and its main concentration is on function. The gateleg table was also of a medieval style, made of wood, and was simple in ornamentation on the spindles. It has functional use and can change size to add or subtract space (Harwood, p.264). Considering the fact that it was England that settled this province it directly influences the architecture and design. With them they brought their culture, and design concepts.

[Spain]
St. Augustine, unlike the buildings of the other colonies that were largely medieval Spanish buildings showed influences from the Spanish renaissance and baroque style period. An example would be the Governors palace, which resembled the adobe.  It had mostly Native American influences with a dose of Spanish. While the Spanish people settled St. Augustine, the Native Americans were native to that part of the world, and therefore their culture was also incorporated into the design of the structure. An example having more of the Spanish style influence would be the Columbus House entry. It has wrought iron, with an Islamic/Spanish influence. It has high ceilings, arches, and the use of tiles.  However, I find the use of the wood beam ceilings to be a representation of the ceilings found in the Great Halls in England. The artifact being the Fraileros was simplistic in its form and decorations, and had shallow carved ornamentation. The spindles are carved and flat rather than turned. This artifact is a pure example of Spanish style.

[France]

New Orleans was settled by the French in Louisiana. The settlement carried influences from the rest of the colonies, but with adaptations made by the French who landed there. It held distinct sophistication that linked to France. The Houssaye House follows medieval style but not as much as England. It is reflected through honest use of materials, function over style, a steeply pitched roof, and large windows and doors (Harwood, p. 292). It has two stories and exterior stairs, which were common as an adaptation to the warm, and moist climate. This is considered to be a Creole influence (Harwood ,p.294). The Parlange Plantation’s exterior has a Creole influence, and the interior has an aristocracy influence, a galerie surrounds both floors and serves as extension as the living service areas, and has partial elements of symmetry (Harwood ,p.292). The armoire is simplistic with its cornice, double doors, and plain façade. This is often found in provinces of France. It has curvilinear apron, but the remainder of the piece is lacking in ornamentation. (Harwood, p.302). It remains functional, but is also simplistically decorative. “Some French architects push[ed]…architecture of pure elemental form expressing function” (Roth, p. 447-448).

[Germany]
The Germans settled in different pockets of the United States when settlements were just beginning. One of those places was New York. With them they brought their medieval building and furnishing traditions. They produced distinct home styles (Harwood, p.303).  The Single Brother’s House in Salem, North Carolina carried the influence of the Germans with its log façade. It expresses the rural traditions of early settlement. It has a high-pitched roof letting us know of its geographical location being in a colder climate as compared to settlements further south (Harwood, p.306). Andrew Jackson’s House had a medieval influence, with multi-functional rooms. Like the Single Brother’s House of Salem, it also has a log façade, also expressing rural traditions of early settlements and westward expansion (Harwood, p.306, 310). The Shrank had clean lines, simple ornamentation and carving on its exterior. It was compartmentalized in such a way reminding me of the building style of the Palazzo Medici, but instead being in order of public to private it goes from private to public.

[3] From the Hersey/Freedman reading, DESIGN and POST a labeled floor plan of a possible Palladian villa inspired by Girolamo Frescobaldi’s Balletto Terzo found online at this site: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/renm/hd_renm.htm select the link on the left side of the page with Frescobaldi’s name under multimedias [5 points possible]

In taking from the ratios mentioned in the article I designed this floor plan. For the outer-edged space I kept a 4:3 ration. For the internal squares along the edges I kept a 1:1 ration, and for the rectangles along the center I kept a 2:1 ratio. My floor plan also keeps axial progression. I attempted to have a navigation of space among room used for similar tasks. For example the kitchen leads to both the dining area as well as to the porch should the occupants wish to dine on the porch. The bedroom leads to the library, and the library can also be entered from the foyer. The dining room leads to the salon for entertainment after dinner, and the salon can also be entered from the foyer.

The image is a screenshot taken from the link provided.

[4] Using the resources at the weblink below, SPECULATE about whether you believe that the architecture and design in the Baroque period stands as a form of social performance in the theatre of the world. Support your response with examples from class and the assigned readings. [5 points possible] http://fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/2/10701023/

It is evident that architecture and design in the Baroque time period were forms of social performance and theater. Based on the website provided I found the following quotations:

“It was of course at Versailles that absolute monarchy created its most spectacular and theatrical expression of power. The formal gardens designed by André Le Nôtre were not only a figurative stage for the court life acted out before the backdrop of the palace; they were also literally a site of the greatest theatrical productions of the period. The grand festivities organized under Louis XIV interlaced fireworks, floats, ballets, and re-enactments of chivalric games with original plays produced on stages harmoniously set in the gardens or courtyards of the palace” (Larry F. Norman, The Theatrical Baroque: European Plays, Painting and Poetry, 1575-1725).

“A world of light and shadow
--and in baroque art more generally--the effect of movement and action was more important than the effect of symmetry and balance that had dominated the art of the Renaissance. Baroque artists aimed to undo the classical unity of form and function, to unbalance the composition and achieve the impression of movement and space that the new age demanded” (Larry F. Norman, The Theatrical Baroque: European Plays, Painting and Poetry, 1575-1725).

With further exploration into Versailles, it was a statement of power, majesty, status, drama, lighting, movement, customized luxury, and grandeur.  It was built to symbolize the sun god, which Louis XIV compared himself to. In this time period sacred interiors set the tome of theatrical sets. With the play of the light with the windows, mirrors, and the gilded statuaries, there can be no denying the sense of theatrics.

Baroque comes from the term “barocca” meaning misshapen pearls. Gradually, the term became used in the late nineteenth century as more of a positive, descriptive word having to do with art that was elaborated, embellished, and complex (Roth, p. 398).  The Baroque time period was about taking the rules and breaking them, proving that they knew them, but also knew how to manipulate them. There was a lack of boundaries, and a spilling over the edges. It was full of excitement, ornamentation, and theatrics, there is no doubt.