American Colonial Periods By Sarah Martin At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

The arts of the early settlers of this country so accurately portray the condition of the people, their lives, and their struggle for the establishment of a stable government that a study of their social conditions allows us to imagine the forms of the various household furnishings with which they surrounded themselves. It should be well understood in advance that the industrial products of the American colonies should be classed as among the "provincial" groups of art.

In all sections of the country, the first efforts of the pioneer were to place a roof over his head and to establish means of sustenance. These attainments were far more important than luxury or even comfort, and it was not until over a century had passed that any true level of sophistication occurred in art development in this country that could in any sense be compared to that of the contemporary production in Western Europe.

Our arts followed the consecutive development of the provincial arts of all countries. The forms and materials used in the furnishings and decorations of the homes of the upper classes in the Capitals were slow to be adopted by those living in the remote districts, popularization taking sometimes twenty-five to fifty years. The country craftsman was less competent, details of ornamentation were usually more crudely formed and local materials were employed as a substitute for the rarer or more costly ones that found their way from distant lands into the great centers of wealth.

It is difficult to trace a comprehensive and consecutive development of the arts in America for the reason that in the early days our coasts were settled by emigrants of varying backgrounds, each of whom introduced a different cultural influence. While the predominating characteristics of "Colonial" art are English, we also find in their respective localities, Dutch, French, Scandinavian, Spanish, and German elements. Fully realizing that they will never have an immense influence outside of our own country, their interest to us is nevertheless supreme and their popularity reflects credit upon the taste of our people.

The term "Colonial" while actually covering the form of government of this country until the Declaration of Independence in 1776, is often loosely applied to all American art products through the eighteenth century. For convenience, the divisions of American art may be grouped as follows:

Early American From 1007 in Virginia and 1520 in Massachusetts until about 1740, characterized by crudity in design and the use of local materials.

Middle Period of Georgian Influence 1740-1790: Characterized by more accurate reproduction of European originals and particularly by the use of mahogany under the Chippendale influence. An example is their plinth blocks (http://www.ferche.com/).

Late Period/Early Republican and Empire1790-1880: Influence of the French Directoire and Empire periods and of Classic concepts from the Pompeiian and Greek.

There was a distinct difference between the type of immigrants who went to New England and those who settled in the Southern colonies. The Northern settlers were primarily of the yeomanry of England who left the home country during the unhappy political conditions of the reign of James 1 and Charles I. Most of them were Puritans who had suffered religious persecution from both Catholic and Church of England parties.

Those who went to Virginia were of the "cavalier" class and distinct adherents to royalty in the Cromwellian conflict. They had been appointed to establish settlements on this side of the water, and they were composed very largely of the nobility and wealthier classes who had been accustomed to greater leisure and to the usual credentials of culture.

They brought with them part of the wealth that had been theirs in England, and from an early date, established an import trade which included the articles of comfort and luxury which the New Englander could not afford. This resulted in a benefit to the local craftsman of New England, creating a market for his product and the beginnings of American industrial art.

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