Curriculum Materials: Art in America
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Image 2b 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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