Late GeorgianGroup 4

Carreon.Ching.Patricio

Georgian Period

■ The age of Aristocracy and development of Modern democracy in England

■ George of Hanover, a cousin of the Queen, was crowned as King of England

King George I

■ George of Hanover■ Little interest in politics■ Underwent a revolution in art and

architecture■ Period of great architectural achievements,

in fashion, in art, and all forms of design

Late Georgian Period■ 1760-1830■ George III■ Started a reaction to both Palladian and

Rococo taste

Late Georgian

• More flexible• Furniture had previously had its origins in the court and worked its way

down, but George I brought a dull and tarnished feeling to the court and only few developments took place in the households of the rich.

Late Georgian

Separate designers distinguished themselves in the late Georgian Period, this is known as the “The Golden Age of Furniture”. The designers were:■ Thomas Chippendale 1745-1780■ Hepplewhite 1760-1790■ Adam 1760-1792■ Sheraton 1790-1806

Georgian Influences

■ Early Georgian style was the tail-end of Queen Anne design, and this gradually became more severe in its lines and architectural details that moved design away from the gentle curves of Queen Anne design.

■ Architecture style was copied from Ancient Greece and Rome, however a lot of Chinese design showed through in the interior. Chinese motifs like peonies and chrysanthemums were found in the fabric and Chinese porcelain and motif table lamps were common. Georgian furniture was strongly influenced by Palladian, Rococo and Neo-Classic design.

Characteristics

■ Utilized many of the hallmarks of Renaissance design■ Rigid symmetry in building mass, in window and door placement, and

even in the layout of interior rooms

Common Architectural Elements■ Symmetrical shape■ Center hall axis plan■ Classical porticos■ Glass fanlights and geometrical

patterns■ Large square rooms■ Sash, double-hung windows■ Staricases■ A center hall stairway

■ Pediment doorway■ Decorated classical cornice with

dentils■ Lintels above rectangular window■ Side-gabled or hipped roof■ Stone or brick walls■ Transom window over paneled front

door■ Belt course■ Corner quoins

Interior Elements

■ Materials, colors, decorative arts varied regionally northern states, it was common to use wood with clapboard or shingle

cladding the corners of the building were decorated with wooden quoins to

imitate stone. Sometimes stone and stucco were used instead of wood.

In the South, Georgian houses were occasionally constructed of stone and stucco, but Georgian style usually meant brick. 

The brickwork occasionally incorporated a horizontal belt course between the first and second floors

Interior Elements

■ Showing worldly possessions and manners were essential– Central hall axis– Sideboard– Dining table and chairs– Tea table - teapots, kettles, and other

accessories■ Pursuit of classical learning

– Library rooms

defining characteristic of Georgian style

Shapes

■ Square is prominent

■ Classical, balanced, and proportional

classical elements from Romans architectural elements were prevalent

Motifs

Motifs

Delicate acanthus

leaves rosettes scallop shells

Ornaments &

Decorations

Ornaments and Decorations

Egg-and-dart molding

Swags Roundels

Ornaments and Decorations

Aesops fables Oriental elements

Classical follies

Patterns

Diaper

Trellis

Latticework

Stripes

Materials

Brick

Wood

Metal

Weather vane Fences Hardware

Glass

Semi-circular Fan design

Textiles

Drapes

Pelmet & cornice Swag Jabot

Upholstery

Line Silk Damask

colors were pale and subtle

Colors

Georgian Favored Colors

pastel pink

pastel blue

dark bluedeep green

crimson

pea green powder blue

sagedusky rose

cream

Georgian Favored

Floral patterns Tapestries

Gold and murals

Finishes

Finishes

Paint■ Single coat on plasters/wood■ Mid sheen and oil based

Finishes

Wallpaper■ Rare■ Background to paintings or ornaments

Flocked

Hand-blocked

Decorative Accessories

Lighting

Chandelier■ Hanging candle holders

■ Wood and iron■ Metal and glass

Lighting

Scone■ Decorative light source■ Minimum light

China

■ China cups■ Teapots

Porcelain

■ Delft tiles and porcelain

Structure

Roof

Pitched roof

Hipped roof

Entrance

Ogee caps

Arched tops

Broken pediment

Pediment

Ceiling

Plasters and mouldings

Decorative ceiling

Doors

■ Elaborate front entrance, either a single or double door with multiple panels in each leaf often decoratively crowned

■ a pediment over the door■ A fanlight or transom light 

above the door with side lights on each side of it

Windows■ Evenly spaced squares or

rectangles■ frequently a Palladian/

Venetian window■ front windows on the groun

d floor often pedimented■ Double-hung sash windows

*wood - decorative pediments over the windows*brick Georgians - decorative brick headers above a window.

Columns

■ These are visible in porticos, front door surrounds and fireplaces, typically in the form of a classical pilaster.

Fireplace

■ These became smaller and focal points of the entertaining room. "An important factor in this evolution was the separation of the kitchen and the social rooms which left the fireplace unconstrained by the needs of cooking".

■ They were heavily decorated for the most part with carved wooded ornaments, pilasters and classical surrounds. In the mid 1700's the marble fireplace appeared.

Stairs

■ The central hall staircase is a key element of the Georgian style

■ The staircases tend to be open-string and have molded, turned and carved handrails and elaborate balusters.

■ Often the sides of the staircases are paneled or have wainscoting and pilasters, and the side-ends are carved.

■ There is often a second staircase used for more utilitarian purposes.

■ The staircases are made of wood, as are the railings. Balustrades are also wooded.

Walls

■ The more formal the room the more decoration on the walls.

■ Applied wood molding, plaster sheath in imitation panels, elaborate fretwork, skirting boards, and pilasters

■ Ornamentation on the walls is a trade mark of the Georgian style.

Floors

■ The floors were wood, generally pine planks, without stain or varnish

■ Floor cloths were very common■ Sisal and rag rugs were suitable for more

casual rooms ■ The more refined the room the smoother

the textures■ Smooth, slick, very even textures are

hallmark of more refined Georgian interiors.

Furniture

■ Built in furniture became more popular and was prestigious■ The cupboard (which housed the valuables such as silver, tea, and cloth) was

prominent■ A more decorative carved glass front corner cabinet visually showcased coveted items

of wealth■ The improvements to and inventions of furniture really proliferated with the emerging

social class■ Chairs were no longer simply pushed against the wall but were designed for greater

seating comfort and lounging■ Small tables for dining were replaced with larger, many-leaved octagonals for sharing

meals■ Cupboards were no longer just for storing precious items, they were needed to display

trinkets, dishes, food, and libations■ Armoires were created to handle the increase in clothing needed for all the refined

activities

Georgian Furniture

■ In early Georgian times, heavy carved and gilded pieces were upholstered in velvet and damask.

■ Fabrics were luxurious: brocade, damask and tapestry, with colors and patterns kept subtle.

■ A royal style extended into common houses with cabriole legs and claw feet on chairs and baths creating an almost throne-like feel.

■ Mahogany slowly replaced walnut as the wood of choice.■ The furniture was delicate, and the fireplace was the heart of the

room. It was often fully outfitted with cast iron, carved pillars and medallions, and an opulent fire screen.

textures in the exteriors and interiors in the 18th century were often rough.

Textures

Bricks

■ Had to be made by hand and were not always perfectly formed and colored

Wood

■ Came from numerous kinds of trees and showed different grains and hues

Plaster

■  Not always applied by a skilled craftsman

■ Rarely smooth and even on the walls

Moldings

■ Moldings that were decorated with ornaments were usually unbalanced and seldom uniform

Furniture

■ not always varnished and properly finished

Glass

■ rarely completely clear and without the residue of sand and ripples

Fabrics

■ Nubby and uneven in weights and coloring

■ Fabrics made with needlepoint were used for dining and important smaller chairs

■ Jacquards and Damasks became increasingly popular and are often best seen in silk or linens.

■ Chintz was a big material for this era. Their big patterns gave a sense of texture to plain whitewashed walls with painted molding

Paint

■ Had a chalky, milky look

Silver

■ Usually had slight imperfections from scratches and tool markings

Rugs

■ coarse

Exterior textures include rustication and surrounds near the center doors and windows. This decorative stonework or brickwork accentuated the classical design style and drew attention to the symmetry of the design. Brick patterns and bonding create different looks and textures, and at one time were a tell tale of a person's wealth. Brick is the iconic building material for the Georgian Style.

■ Carved wood banisters, moldings, pilasters and columns add real authentic detail to the Georgian look.

■ The variations of v's and circles in trim (egg and dart) and fluting in the pilasters increase textural interest and are architectural elements important to the classical style.

■ No Georgian home is complete without circular ceiling mounts in plaster, near the hanging chandelier

■ Variations of stones, marbles and woods complete the important focal point of that ubiquitous fireplace. Delft tiles were popular decorative surrounds too.

■ The use of orders and ornaments around and on the mantels are important. This was and should be treated as the focal point of the interior.

Interiors Carved wood banisters

Egg and dart

Stones, marbles, and woodsdelft tiles

Ceiling mount

Orders and ornaments

■ Gardens, views, and vistas were very significant characteristics of Georgian Design

■ The homes and gardens were considered connected

■ The colors and textures of the landscapes accentuated the colors and textures of the interiors

Georgian Garden

Reflecting pool

Garden furniture and statuary

Coarse stone benches

Marble bird baths

Plant and tree material

the Georgian style is all about symmetry which includes size

Sizes

■ The design is directly derived from the classic architectural principles.

■ First from the Roman Vitruvius, then interpreted by Palladio

■ Revived by architects Inigo Jones, Christopher Wren, Colen Campbell, William Kent, and Robert Adams.

■ The hallmark of the classical style is the central block (rigid symmetry, center hall axis), which requires significant size to achieve the balance or unity of the design

Everything got bigger when the stylistic changes shifted from Baroque to Georgian.

Robert Adam

Robert Adam■ 1728-1792■ Scottish■ Edinburgh, Scotland■ Studied little architecture under his father■ Him and James, his brother took over his father’s

architectural business ■ CONTINUITY OF DESIGN■ Idea of carrying one or more elements or motifs

throughout the design ■ He employed both polychromatic and

monochromatic color schemes, bright colors and pale colors and pastels, sometimes in combination. 

Robert Adam

The Works in Architecture of Robert and James Adam■ One of the most celebrated books in architectural

history, consists of the brothers' own selections of illustrations from their commissions.

■ Dating from the 1770s, these 106 illustrated plates epitomize the style that influenced generations of British and American architectural and furniture designs.

■ First volume(1773)■ Second volume(1779)■ Third Volume(1822)

Osterley Park Hall

Osterley Park Dining Room

Keddleston Hall- Marble Hall

Osterley Park Dressing Room

Groom Court Tapestry Room

Nostel Priory Drawing Room

Kenwood Library

Syon House Ante Room

Syon House Gallery

Home House Foyer

Hopetoun House■ In collaboration with James Adams■ Robert's principal work from 1750 to 1754■ Completion of his father’s incomplete

masterpiece.■ Introduced Red and Yellow Drawing Rooms■ Robert also redesigned the outlying pavilions of

the house in a manner that anticipates his mature neoclassic style.

■ The dining room became the most important room with a strong masculine feeling. The men would spend many hours there after the women had withdrawn to the drawing room where the furniture was lighter and more delicate.

Hopetoun House, Edinburgh UK

Hopetoun House, Edinburgh UK

Dumfries House■ 1751-1754■ Robert’s first independent work■ Fine rococo ceilings decorations■ Dealership between him and Thomas Chippendale about

furnishing of the Adam houses.

The Great Steward of Scotland's Dumfries House Trust, Cumnock UK

Harewood House, Yorkshire■ Took 12 years to complete■ Robert revised all of the plans by John Carr■ He designed all of the interiors

Harewood House, Harewood UK

Adam Furniture (Mahogany and Satinwood 1760-1792)

■ Robert Adam was a Scottish architect. He spent a lot of time studying in Italy.

■ While he was there a large amount of excavation work was taking place, especially around Pompeii. These excavations and findings of the 1750’s had a large influence on his work.

■ When he returned to England he became the Court Architect to George III. There were already changes happening in the Georgian furniture, the flowing curves, the ornate carving. Adam brought back the simple classical lines of the Roman and Greek Styles.

■ The people then turned to Adam’s simple straight lines and simple moldings. He started the new Neo Classical style.

Adam Furniture (Mahogany and Satinwood 1760-1792)■ Adam and his brother James were primarily

Architects and designed the furniture to decorate the rooms. Adam’s furniture consisted of huge pieces, sideboards with two pedestals surmounted by large classical urns.

■ The dining room became the most important room with a strong masculine feeling. The men would spend many hours there after the women had withdrawn to the drawing room where the furniture was lighter and more delicate.

Adam Furniture (Mahogany and Satinwood 1760-1792)■ Used other tradesmen to

produce his designs.

■ Oval and shield back chairs.

■ Never used Cabriole legs he preferred to use straight, tapered legs.

■ Used low relief ornament based on Greek and Roman Motifs.

■ Often-massive pieces of furniture.

■ Lower back chairs.

■ Introduced the lyre shape, with metal rods which are still now being used in furniture making.

■ Introduced the pedestals to the side table for the start of the

modern sideboard.

■ Rounded front commode.

■ Used center motifs on frieze with fluting and patereas.

■ The moldings were of the simplest kind, dentils were used.

■ Applied decoration to Wedgewood China: applied to center panel (Adam Stucco Ceilings).

■ Applied plaster motifs usually painted or gilded.

■ Used octagonal and hexagonal shapes.

■ Winged griffins.

Thomas Chippenda

le

Thomas Chippendale■ 1745-1780■ Born In a family of Yorkshire carpenters■ Aged 30, he moved to London and started a

career in cabinet making, got married and had a large family.

■ 1754, he published The Gentleman and Cabinet –Maker’s Director- being a large collection of the most elegant and useful designs of household furniture in the Gothic, Chinese and modern taste.

■ He took on large scale furnishing projects on his workshop on St. Martins Lane.

Thomas Chippendale■ Chippendale blended these disparate stylistic

elements into harmonious and unified designs. The term Chippendale specifically refers to English furniture of the 1750s and ’60s made in a modified Rococo style.

■ In the 18th century there was an increasing demand for luxury goods. Chippendale’s Director provided for this market with 160 engravings of fashionable furniture designs.

■ Became influential in America and Europe ■ Reissued in 1755 and 1762 with additional

neo-classical designs

Rococo Chippendale■ He extented a reaction against the heavy formality of Baroque

furniture design, typified by the work of William Kent who died in 1748. 

■ It is French originated but he modified some of it, for the less flamboyant English market.

Louis XV style chair

Roccoco Chippendale chair

China Chippendale■ The Chinese Chippendale designs in The Director were applied to

china cabinets, or china shelves, which had glazing bars in a fretwork design and a pagoda-style pediment. A similar fretwork was used for a gallery around the edges of “china tables,” or tea tables, and for the backs and legs of chairs.

■ Some pieces of Chinese Chippendale furniture, often intended for rooms decorated in chinoiserie, or Chinese style, were japanned, or coated with oriental-style lacquer.

■ Chippendale designs were simplified and adapted in the second half of the 18th century; two of these modified designs are country Chippendale and Irish Chippendale.

Country Chippendale■ Country Chippendale pieces were skilled adaptations, particularly

of the renowned ribbonback chairs, by country craftsmen who could not cope with the intricate carving of Chippendale’s designs.

■ The woods used were normally indigenous rather than the imported mahogany used in the more fashionable furniture.

Irish Chippendale■ Irish Chippendale, mahogany furniture crafted in Ireland, while

bearing a superficial resemblance to Chippendale’s designs, did not compare with their quality.

Thomas Chippendale■  Chippendale went into partnership with the wealthy Scottish

merchant James Rannie and later the accountant Thomas Haig. Their business acumen complemented Chippendale’s entrepreneurial flair.

■ In 1776, Chippendale’s son, also Thomas (1749–1822), took over the firm. Continuing financial difficulties and then Haig’s death led to closure in 1804.

Chippendale (Mahogany 1745-1780)

Chippendale Rococco Chair■ Country Chippendale – rural craftsman has access to pattern

books.■ Dining tables followed the chairs either cabriole legs or

straight.■ French legs.■ Chippendale Chinese and Gothic Chairs.■ Master carver – acanthus leaf, claw and ball. Carving is the

only form of decoration.■ Influenced by French Chinese and Gothic.■ Pierced urn shaped splat.

Chippendale (Mahogany 1745-1780)■ Cupids bow top rails.■ Fretwork, ladder back and ribbon back chairs.■ Piecrust edge tables, tilt top, birdcage gallery, tripod base.■ Claw and ball foot with Icanthus leaf carving on the knee.■ Arm supports set back to accommodate hoped skirts.■ Chests of drawers with bracket feet.■ Breakfront bookcase, barred doors, broken swans neck

pediments.■ Bedstead with Cabriole legs carved.■ Bureau bookcase square and straight legs returned in 1760

and stretchers returned.

George Hepplewhi

te

Hepplewhite (Mahogany and Satinwood 1760-1792)■ George Hepplewhite owned his own factory and made furniture for

Robert Adam. He produced a book of designs “The Cabinetmaker and Upholsters Guide”.

■ He had a fondness for the curved line and introduced this into his design wherever possible. Hepplewhite moved away from the heavy carving of Chippendale and used more refined carving. His favorite timbers to work with were Mahogany and Satinwood. He lightened up the look of the timber without sacrificing the stability.

■ Best known for his chair back designs – shield back, hoped back, oval and heart shaped which were very popular.

George Hepplewhite (Mahogany and

Satinwood 1760-1792)■ George Hepplewhite owned his own factory and made furniture for Robert Adam.

■ He is regarded as having been one of the "big three" English furniture makers of the 18th century, along with Thomas Sheraton and Thomas Chippendale.

■ Hepplewhite’s style and reputation rest on his Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Guide (1788), which contained nearly 300 designs for furniture and other furnishings.

■ Best known for his chair back designs – shield back, hoped back, oval and heart shaped which were very popular.

George Hepplewhite (Mahogany and

Satinwood 1760-1792)■ Hepplewhite moved away from the heavy carving of Chippendale and used more refined carving. His favourite timbers to work with were Mahogany and Satinwood. He lightened up the look of the timber without sacrificing the stability.

■ Hepplewhite produced designs that were slender, more curvilinear in shape and well balanced. 

■ The plates in the Guide are unsigned, but 10 designs signed “Hepplewhite” or “Heppelwhite” are included in the Cabinet-Maker’s London Book of Prices (1788).

Page from Hepplewhite's style guide, published in

1787

Hepplewhite (Mahogany and Satinwood 1760-1792)Features of Hepplewhite Furniture■ Used straight tapered legs and also French cabriole leg.■ Used decorations such as wheatears, husks, urns, draped cloth, and

Prince of Wales feathers.■ Cylinder fall used on writing table Reeded chair legs, also single

corner reed on square legs.■ Modern sideboard with concave ends and bow front center, searing

end.■ Chest of drawers with curved base.■ Toilet table (no running water – table to hold basin).■ Wardrobe starts to be used.■ Bureau bookcase.■ Pembroke Table – drawer at end.■ Inlay used around the drawer fronts.

Thomas Sheraton

Sheraton (Mahogany and Satinwood 1790-

1806)■ Thomas Sheraton was a trained Cabinetmaker and Carver, but was primarily a designer. He produced a book called “The Cabinetmaker and Upholsterers’ Drawing Book.

■ Sheraton continued to use Mahogany as his timber, but preferred satinwood, rosewood or painted finishes for his lighter drawing room furniture.

■ He had a passion for mechanical parts and designed many types of secretaire or bureau. For example, open a top drawer to reveal a writing surface, which then opened or slid back to provide access to drawers or pigeon holes. Carving basically disappeared.

Sheraton (Mahogany and Satinwood 1790-

1806)■ Thomas Sheraton was a trained Cabinetmaker and Carver, but was primarily a designer. He produced a book called “The Cabinetmaker and Upholsterers’ Drawing Book.

■ Sheraton continued to use Mahogany as his timber, but preferred satinwood, rosewood or painted finishes for his lighter drawing room furniture.

■ He had a passion for mechanical parts and designed many types of secretaire or bureau. For example, open a top drawer to reveal a writing surface, which then opened or slid back to provide access to drawers or pigeon holes. Carving basically disappeared.

Sheraton (Mahogany and Satinwood 1790-

1806)■ Thomas Sheraton furniture tends to be rectilinear with highly innovative splat backs emphasizing geometric pattern and straight lines.

■ He uses paint as decoration more then the others and often pushes wood to the extremes with extremely slender legs and backs. 

Sheraton (Mahogany and Satinwood 1790-1806)Sheraton Furniture Features■ Kept chair backs with straight lines and

square shapes.■ Kept backs as open as possible.■ Single cross rails, vertical uprights and

trellis effect.■ Tapered legs including spade toe.■ Turned legs with reeding became a

fashionable form of decoration.■ Shield back with straight top.

Sheraton (Mahogany and Satinwood 1790-1806)Sheraton Furniture Features■ Known for many complicated mechanical

actions, secret compartments, concealed drawers, sofa into beds or bed settee.

■ Six legged sideboard – straight front with convex ends.

■ Brass rods including candle stand.■ Sewing table.■ Introduced the tambour top or roll top

desk, tambour front, roll top.■ Serpentine front chest of drawers.

References■ http://www.interiordezine.com/styles-and-periods/georgian-period/■ http://www.buildinghistory.org/style/georgian.shtml■ http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Late+Georgian+style■ http://www.designintuit.com/issue0002/focus/materials.html