England pt.2

 Gina Christopher 

Neoclassicism refers to artists neglecting Rococo art and instead embracing simplicity and the use of geometry. Showing movement with the use of geometrical patterns is the name of the game for Neoclassicism. This change was connected to contemporary policies. In France, as new way of creating art was related to a new ay of governing the country. Neoclassicism is associated with the Age of Reason, the Enlightenment, and the French and American Revolutions. Now lets get into some examples that show the movement more clearly, including interiors, furniture, fabric and more!

My favorite art/architecture/furniture 

Syon House 

A lot of colors retuned to interiors here, with painted wall and ceiling designs. Floors often compliments the design of the ceiling in some way. You can see in the first pictures that the X shapes in the ceiling is reflected into the floor and in the second picture the hexagon shape reflects in the same way. This was one of the characteristics of Robert Adam that I admire the most. Please also notice the use of vaulted ceilings to make the spaces feel more monumental.

Kidney-shaped pedestal desk 

Thomas Sheraton created the kidney bean desks (as I like to call them). The desk was often foldable for multipurpose use and spatial reasonings. They included sideboards with brass rods, were made of wood, and had little detailing on the face but detailed legs. I love the making of detailed desk legs because it makes a piece feel rich yet humble, it reminds me of the desk legs that Professor Meissner made in his office!

Toile Fabric 

Many variations of fabrics were used during this period to decorate spaces including moire, brocade, satin, and more but my favorite is toile fabric. I like this fabric choice because when it is used it seems like a subtle flourish like finish, but there are tiny pictures and stories embedded within. In my opinion this fabric will never go out of style!

Current Applications 

Floor/Ceiling design relationships today 

Today you don’t see a lot of floor designs mimicking the design of the ceilings, but when you do it’s interesting to the see the change over time. Today, instead of altering the entire flooring system to a design, furniture is used to mimic the ceiling often in the same shape so it gives the same effect of neoclassicism but is not as permeant. 

Toile Fabric today

Toile fabric has recently made its way back into style. It is often used in women’s clothing, bedding and bags. One designer brand in particular is known for its used of toile fabric in high end purses and scarfs. These purses go for about 4,000 dollars, so I guess they have neoclassicism to thank for that! I don’t own something of that stature, but I actually have a toile fabric shirt and some cosmetic bags. I love this look!

Kidney bean tables 

The use of the kidney bean shape is often seen in schools today rather than desks. This shape allows the teacher or instructor to engage with multiple students at one time. My mom is an educator, and she loves these for group activities. The kidney bean shape can also been seen in coffee tables for ascetic purposes. 

One Step Further 

Robert Adam 

Robert Adam was a Neoclassic architect, interior designer, and furniture maker. He personally rejected the Palladian style and introduce Indigo Jones. He took his inspiration from classical antiquity and applies the concept of movement to his interiors. He dabbled in a few different styles ranging from bold and masculine to delicate and feminine. He loved using geometries such as octagons and ellipses in his designs but still kept some classical architectural devices such as columns, pilaster, and entablatures. Here are some of his works below!