Reading Comprehension 5

1. Picking an artifact and relating it to the evolution of design:

During the beginning of the Renaissance, architecture and design were transitioning from the Middle Ages where private spaces were sparse. This affected artifacts as well, like the candlestick. It began as purely simplistic, made out of iron, brass, and other materials, not having decorative features. It was used for light mobility purposes, since the interiors were fairly dark.

The times flowed into the Rococo experience, which is hardly considered a style phase, except towards interiors and accessories. The candlesticks definitely went with the flow of this and evolved more. These newer ones were smaller, curvilinear, and more naturalistic than those of the Baroque or Renaissance before it.

If we were to travel a few more years up the road to the present day, the candlesticks are almost obsolete. We have candles, but not to deliver light to carry around. They are more for the aroma they give off. We do have a modern day candlestick, which I think is much safer; you won’t get burned! It is the flashlight.

I believe the further you travel in time the more light is needed or wanted within the home. We have advanced our lighting fixtures to the point where we rely on electricity and things that are battery-operated. We are continuing to expound more and more on technology that soon we might do away with the candle all together. We have done so already, at least with its original intent, to provide light.

2. Choosing an artifact, a building, place and space of the Eastern 19th century and relating that to Western architecture/design.

Artifact: women's dress-

http://blog.aurorahistoryboutique.com/images/early-1800s-fashion-2.png

The fashion changed dramatically during the 19th century. At the beginning of this century, the dresses were padded, had fluff, and corsets (much like the architecture). Then they came to be about the moral beliefs at the time; being formed more to the body, but graceful and light. People were in general more open and free, not bogged down as they were before. It was influenced, some say, by nature, but was all together meant to be more visually appealing than before. It became easier for goods and ideas to travel across the sea and therefore more women were dressing like the English; they received much criticism for that. So even though we were an independent country, we still looked like the people we separated from. The women did not know where to turn for new design, so they fell back on the English way. If I would have been there, I would have done my own thing and had a completely different look and style.

Building: Monticello-

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/family-vacations-monticello.jpg

Monticello was obviously inspired by Palladio's work. The structural columns being shown relate to his style as well, but show Thomas Jefferson's interpretation of them. The whole building was Jefferson's interpretation of various designs. Since this was built over 40 years, there were many changes and different styles that came into the spotlight influenced the building's architectural details. The dome on top of the structure has been greatly influenced by Europe and the previous design styles. It is seen in many, many structures in America.

Place: Pleasant Cove, Diamond Island

http://www.tfaoi.com/musimage/port9.jpg

This port illustrates the early settler's way of life. Maybe in this area there had not been much growth and building yet. I see that there are people from every facet in life, showing that there was a wide variety that would have lived here. There is not much else to say about them, except to comment on the scale of the place and the people. This is a vast area. The people look quite small compared to the land and the trees. This is different than in England, possibly, where there were more people and crowds.

There were not too many ships coming into this port compared to those in England, at least in this image. The ships from England, come to think of it, would probably not be able to pull up to the shore. You can see that the small vessel in the background needed a paddle boat to get passengers or goods to shore. Maybe the people here didn't want this port to be huge, like the ones across seas. They might have possibly liked the small scale venue; it's less crowded. It would stay less crowded as well, if there were not ships coming and going constantly.

Space: Biltmore Estate Banquet Hall

The banquet hall is a prime example of the Americans stealing from the English. This is also right in our backyard. The furniture is done in the same style as the English, including the lavish extremes of the wood around the space. The tapestries as well were popular in England at the time. I am quite surprised though that the table is not round. I suppose it is a large table, but it seems to me that these people that came over to America and formed this new nation wanted to be treated as equals instead of lower class individuals. This table does not reflect that thinking. I think that they got away from the portraits on the walls, and instead have the animal heads. This could possibly represent the new worlds morals, everyday practice. They had to get food somehow. They did incorporate the portraits like the English with the figures along the top of the wall, I cannot tell if they were carved into the structure or a painting of sorts.