Curriculum Materials: Art in America



Image 2a

Foxon, Connecticut
Connecticut Room


Key Points

Essays:
Period Rooms
The Farmhouse and the Parlor
Heating and Light
Style and Decoration
The Furnishings
Another View of the Connecticut Room

Questions:
Look Questions
Think Questions



Think Questions

1. Why do you suppose the furniture was moved against the wall when the room was not in use? How would the room look if the furniture was away from the walls and arranged throughout the room? How would you arrange the furniture?

2. PERIOD ROOMS are installations of actual rooms or portions of rooms that have been removed from historic houses. They tell us a lot about the people who lived in them. What can you deduce about the people who lived in this room from a farmhouse in Foxon, Connecticut? If you could have any room from your home placed in a museum, which room would you choose? Why? What could people learn about you and your family by studying the room you have chosen?

3. Look at the chair you sit in at school. Compare and contrast it to one of the chairs in the Connecticut Room. What material is each chair made of? Do you think your classroom chair is more or less comfortable than the Connecticut chair? Why? What color is each? How was color applied to each? Which chair do you consider more attractive? Why?

4. The people who lived in the Connecticut Room were a bit behind the times in fashion trends. Why? Do you keep up with new trends and styles? How? Why did it take a lot longer for people living in the 18th century to find out about new styles? Do you ever hold onto things even if they are out of style? Why? Why might the people in rural colonial America have held on to their possessions even if they were out of style?

Teacher Answer Key



To the Teacher ~ Introduction ~ Timeline ~ Artwork Index ~ Categories for Comparison ~ Glossary ~ How to Order ~ Your Comments