Queen Anne, Georgian (including Chippendale) & Neoclassical (including Hepplewhite and Sheraton) Influences on Late Colonial America

Connections Between Countries

- French Rococo influenced Early Georgian England.

- English styles influenced Late Colonial America.

- Later Neoclassicism influenced Federal style America

Queen Anne Period (1700-1720)

- England became a center for: silverware, wallpaper, carpets, porcelain

- major social influence was Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough

Queen Anne Style Characteristics

- Understated

- Refined

- Modest

- Reaction against heavy French Baroque decoration.

Queen Anne's Furniture characteristics

• Cabriole legs

• Ball-and-claw feet

• Shell motifs

• Splat-back chairs

• Curving organic forms.

Queen Anne's Furniture Materials

• Walnut commonly used

• Limited gilding

• Shell carvings popular

Queen Anne's Common furniture pieces

• Wingback chair

• Tea tables

• Highboy (tall chest)

• Secretary desk

• Side chairs

Queen Anne's Decorative Motifs

• Shell carving

• Flame finials

• Swan-neck pediments

• Escutcheons (metal plate around keyhole).

Interior Design in the Queen Anne Period

• Paneled walls

• Carved moldings

• Fireplaces

• Period furniture.

Woodworking Techniques

- Veneers

- Crossbanding

- Quarter-Sawn Wood

- Oystering

Veneers

Thin layers of wood applied to furniture surfaces to create decorative grain patterns.

Crossbanding

Decorative border created by placing veneer grain at right angles.

Quarter-Sawn Wood

Produces straight, uniform grain patterns.

Oystering

Decorative veneer technique using circular wood grain patterns.

Georgian Period (After Queen Anne)

- After Queen Anne died, her cousin George I became king.

Design styles from this era are called Georgian styles. • Palladian architecture

• Neo-Palladian architecture

• Chippendale furniture styles.

Palladian / Neo-Palladian Architecture

Key Characteristics

• Symmetry

• Classical proportions

• Straight lines

• Controlled ornamentation

Chiswick House (1729) in England

- English Palladium or Neo-Palladium Style

- Designed by Richard Boyle (Lord Burlington) and William Kent

Thomas Chippendale

- one of the most famous furniture designers in history

Thomas Chippendale's Book

- Published "The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director" (1754), the first major furniture design catalog.

- This book allowed furniture makers across the world to copy his designs.

Chippendale's Legs

• Cabriole legs

• Ball-and-claw feet

• Lion's paw feet.

Chippendale's Decoration

• Elaborate carvings

• Shells

• Acanthus leaves

• Scrolls

• Floral patterns

Chippendale's Chair Design

• Ribband back chairs

• Yoke-shaped crest rails

Chippendale's Design Influences

- Rococo: Curved ornate decoration

- Gothic Revival: Pointed arches

- Chinoiserie: Asian motifs and lattice patterns.

Chippendale in America

- Chippendale furniture became extremely popular in Colonial America

- Major centers of production:

• Philadelphia

• Boston

• Newport.

- American craftsmen often used: Caribbean mahogany, local woods

Hepplewhite Furniture (1775-1800)

- George Hepplewhite

- His design book: The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide (1788)

helped spread the style internationally.

Hepplewhite Furniture's Key Characteristics

• Light and elegant

• Shield-back chairs

• Straight tapered legs

• Fine inlay decoration

• Symmetrical designs

Hepplewhite Furniture's Common materials

- Mahogany

- Satinwood

- Rosewood

Sheraton Furniture (1790-1820)

- Thomas Sheraton

- Part of the Neoclassical design movement

Sheraton Furniture's Key Features

• Straight slender legs

• Refined geometry

• Elegant lightweight appearance

Sheraton Furniture's Decorations

• Urns

• Swags

• Garlands

• Bellflowers

• Prince of Wales feathers

Sheraton Furniture's Common technique

• Veneers

• Marquetry

• Decorative inlays