Period Style

Period Style

This is the set of defining characteristics and designs that distinguish the architectural and decorative expressions of a historic movement.
Intro
1 / Period Style
2 / Georgian History
3 / Shape
4 / Materials
5 / Structure
6 / Color
7 / Texture
8 / Size

This subject is very broad and complex. Historians, archaeologists, scientists, architects and numerous other scholars all have conflicting and converging perspectives on this topic.

To make sense of period styles, start by understanding how the political, cultural, social, economic, geographic and technological events influence of each time period and how they weave together a stylistic record. There are no sharp edges around stylistic periods. Styles overlap, blend, merge and mix. There are no clear boundaries that mark when a stylistic period ends.

The language for period styles is best spoken by quantifying and qualifying terms like who, what, where, when, and why. In "A Guide to Styles, Techniques, and Materials of the Decorative Arts, from Renaissance to Art Deco", the author states that the logical language comes from a "specialized vocabulary that tells what something is, where it comes from, and when it was made."

Let's look at Annapolis in 18th Century British Colonial America. The architecture and interior designs describe, define and illustrate the stylistic characteristics of the Georgian period in this premiere colonial seaport.

The historic context of a period style links with the visual characteristics to provide a deeper understanding of the whole "look or "story". To gain an understanding of the context, ask yourself these questions:

Who: Who were the notable architects, designers, tradesmen, manufacturers, and craftsmen directly or indirectly influencing and creating styles?
When: What was the height of the prevailing period style and the duration of that period?
Where: Where did the style originate? In what country or continent? Of course, styles travel and can be interpreted differently by another country. Sometimes they can be called something entirely different. (For example: when France interpreted the neoclassical style, it became something called Rococo. The Rococo period style never really caught on in England.)
What: What are the origins of a style, and the why it came about? What is the prominent name for the style? Are there other names associated with this style? (Often a style starts with a new monarch or ruler and is named after them.)

For our Georgian Colonial Period Style the answers are:

Who: William Buckland was the prominent architect of the era, but most homes were designed and built by the gentlemen owners themselves.
When: 1720-1776
Where: The style originated in England. In America, the trend was copied first by affluent royal subjects mostly near the eastern seaboard.
What: The style was named after the ruling Georges of England and describes the architectural and decorative arts that were made and built during their respective reigns. (The History of Georgian Style answers this question in more depth)

The visual characteristics of form - shape, materials, structure, color, texture, and size - provide the answers to the identifying characteristics that distinguish one style from all the others. Matching form with the historical context provides a reasonably accurate depiction of a specific artistic expression or movement.

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