Post Colonial Era Art Periods - The Federal Period Design Styles

The Federal Period in American art history was the time of the declaration of independence which brought on an assertion, in not only politics, but in the creative and fine arts as well. And even though the English art influence was already set in the minds and lifestyles of the general populace, it wasn't enough to dampen the zeal of the new-found assertion of the Postcolonial era.

A classical style of architecture was fiercely promoted by both Presidents Washington and Jefferson, and it was meant to be a unique style reserved for federal buildings and structures. They two statesmen were of the opinion that the newly created American republic must reflect the foreign architectural styles they admired, those of a republican Rome and a democratic Greece.

The prominent designers of the day were each inclined towards varying styles of European architecture and interior design. For example, the design of the Richmond Capitol created by Thomas Jefferson (President and father of classic revival in America), was inspired by the ancient Roman structure, the Maison Carre in Nimes, and McComb of New York, a renowned architect of the era favoured the French neoclassical style of art, architecture and design styles.

Dr. William Thornton, an architect who arrived in the United States in 1793, and who designed the first Capitol at Washington, had strong leanings towards Greek styles and ornaments, features he used extensively in his design of the Washington historical monument.

And Charles Bullfinch, also a prominent architect and S. McIntire who was a craftsman/architect, the former from Boston and the latter from Salem, both styled their designs after the Adam Brothers classicism.

The outcome of the styles of these men was an imaginative conception of the decorative arts with an added flamboyance of the American touch to classic art forms and features. A good example that explains this added flair is perhaps apparent in the awareness of these American designers that design principles recognises the fact that each individual material has potentials as well as limitations.

And though available architectural books of the time showed classical forms that are meant to be produced with stone, because the Americans' are blessed with an abundance of wood, it was only natural that both exterior and interior details were made in wood during the Federal period.

This caused a trend to emerge where classical details originally produced from stone material were made in slimmer proportions using wood. Columns of wood were long and narrow, sometimes tapering, and moldings and similar finer details became relatively smaller, with ornamentation following the Adam-Pompeian delicate details.

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The Post Colonial/Federal period interior styles were typified by high ceilings in the more elaborate homes of the wealthy, with less emphasis placed on wall panelling, unlike in the preceding period of the Georgian era where wood panelling was a popularly used interior design feature.

During the Federal Period, the only wall panelling works was usually done on the fireplace wall while the other remaining walls were generally plastered, painted, finished with wallpaper or covered lavishly with imported silk textile materials. However, dado and cornices pretty much continued in use while elaborate trims were used for mantels, arches, windows and doors.

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