Curriculum Materials: Art in America
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Image 3 Charleston, South Carolina Questions: |
Think Questions Teacher Answer Key
1. This room set up in the museum is called a PERIOD ROOM. Why might this room and other rooms in museums be called period rooms? Why are these rooms in a museum? What makes a period room different from a room in someone's house? (Many things! Period rooms are designed to teach museum visitors about specific periods in history; they are meant to be looked at, not lived in; you cannot sit on the furniture or use the objects in a period room.)
2. In this image of the Charleston Drawing Room, you can see electric lights. Would these lights have been used in 1772? (No.) Why or why not? (Electric lights had not been invented yet.) How would the room have been lit? (Candlelight, sunlight through large windows, firelight.)
3. Why might the family have chosen to decorate with so much red throughout the room? (Red is a bold color; perhaps the red accents throughout visually unify the diverse elements in the room.) How would the room look if many different colors were used throughout?
4. Though made in the colonies, some of the furniture in this room emulates Chippendale furniture, which was very fashionable in England at the time. Why would the Stuart family want to have furniture that was fashionable in England? (They were a British family; as a sign of their good taste; England influenced style in parts of the colonies; an "American" furniture style had not yet been developed; they liked the way it looked.) Why would they have the furniture made in the colonies rather than import it? (Expense, convenience.)
5. The furnishing and decoration of this room from Charleston, South Carolina, reflect the British heritage of the family that lived here. Which, if any, of the furnishings, decorations, or items in your home reflect your family's heritage?
6. Compare and contrast this drawing room from Charleston
to the Connecticut Room. Which looks larger? Why do you
think this is so? Which would have had more light? Which
one comes from a home in a warmer climate? How can you
tell? Which one looks more comfortable? Why do you think
so? Which one would you prefer to spend time in?
Why?
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