Curriculum Materials: Art in America
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Image 2a Foxon, Connecticut Questions: |
Style and Decoration
First colonized by the English in the 1630s, Connecticut quickly developed into a prosperous farming colony with ties to the sea and to mercantile trade. Lacking a large urban center like Boston, New York, or Charleston, Connecticut was somewhat removed from contemporary fashion. While people in the larger urban areas stayed abreast of trends in style and fashion, the basically conservative rural communities often lagged behind. Current styles appeared in rural homes later than in the cities, and frequently only in small details or local interpretations.
This room is sparsely decorated. The green paint on the
paneled wall, brighter in the 18th
century, has faded with age. This wall is stylishly
decorated with RELIEF
carving to emphasize the importance of the fireplace, which
is flanked by two
PILASTERS. A carved
rosette, called the Connecticut rose, decorates the top of
each. Both the pilasters and the rosette are
CLASSICAL motifs that
were popular in European design. The other walls of the room
are stuccoed and whitewashed and the floor is sanded wood,
as they would have been during the 18th century.
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