Rachel
As the American rebels fought for and subsequently won their independence from Britain, architectural revivals as well as new styles emerged. The Americans developed iconographic symbols of their freedom in new buildings that they believed would translate the new American identity. For example, Thomas Jefferson’s design for the Virginia State Capitol building confirmed these new inclinations. As a nation arose from the chaos of the Revolution, “architecture served an important symbolic function” (Pohl), an idea that Jefferson promoted. In accordance with the Revolutionary aims, “Jefferson thought that the United States of America must not adhere to British colonial architecture but, instead, draw directly on the architecture of the ancient Roman Republic. … His Virginia State Capitol took classical revivalism a step further than most contemporary designs”; rather than following the usual styles of neo-classicism, such as the addition of several columns and applied decoration, “Jefferson literally copied the Maison Carrée at Nîmes in southern France, a Roman temple” (Pohl).
Jefferson continued his exploration in neo-classicism with his own home, Monticello. His application of Roman styles to domestic architecture ushered in new thinking; Americans could now surround themselves with the ideals of Rome and even define themselves by the architecture. As the new era dawned, “Jefferson departed from the colonial habit of locating the manor house near the edge of the river and instead placed his home on top of a hill he called Monticello (Italian for “little mountain”), in order to achieve a full view of the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains” (Pohl). While the basic structure of the manor mirrors the more expensive styles within the colonial and pre-revolutionary eras, typically two stories and a boxy frame, the U-shape, with arms extending backwards, presents an entirely different concept unheard of before this period. The extension of the building backwards “‘pushed the dependencies at Monticello into the earth’ (the slave quarters were recessed into the hillside; the kitchen and storerooms were under the house). … Yet Jefferson, the man who coined the words ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,’ owned eighty-three slaves who were housed” (Pohl) separate from the main house and Jefferson himself. Despite his hypocrisy, Jefferson “rejected the blatant use of slaves as a sign of privilege. … In his refusal to play the role of the patriarch surrounded by his charges, he recast patriarchal authority as modern individualism” (Pohl). The Romanesque qualities of Jefferson’s building, the columns and the square structures, reflect the American need for change and separation from British influence while establishing images of stability and confidence in this infant republic.
Works Cited
Pohl, Frances K. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
Images Cited
"Flickriver: Most Interesting Photos Tagged with Virginiaaerialphoto." Flickriver: Most Interesting Photos Tagged with Virginiaaerialphoto. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://flickriver.com/photos/tags/virginiaaerialphoto/interesting/>.
"Maison Carree." Wikipedia. N.p., 25 May 2004. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maison_carree_side.jpg>.
"State Capitol." Virginia Government. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.lva.virginia.gov/exhibits/capitol/temple/sully.htm>.
As the American rebels fought for and subsequently won their independence from Britain, architectural revivals as well as new styles emerged. The Americans developed iconographic symbols of their freedom in new buildings that they believed would translate the new American identity. For example, Thomas Jefferson’s design for the Virginia State Capitol building confirmed these new inclinations. As a nation arose from the chaos of the Revolution, “architecture served an important symbolic function” (Pohl), an idea that Jefferson promoted. In accordance with the Revolutionary aims, “Jefferson thought that the United States of America must not adhere to British colonial architecture but, instead, draw directly on the architecture of the ancient Roman Republic. … His Virginia State Capitol took classical revivalism a step further than most contemporary designs”; rather than following the usual styles of neo-classicism, such as the addition of several columns and applied decoration, “Jefferson literally copied the Maison Carrée at Nîmes in southern France, a Roman temple” (Pohl).
Jefferson continued his exploration in neo-classicism with his own home, Monticello. His application of Roman styles to domestic architecture ushered in new thinking; Americans could now surround themselves with the ideals of Rome and even define themselves by the architecture. As the new era dawned, “Jefferson departed from the colonial habit of locating the manor house near the edge of the river and instead placed his home on top of a hill he called Monticello (Italian for “little mountain”), in order to achieve a full view of the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains” (Pohl). While the basic structure of the manor mirrors the more expensive styles within the colonial and pre-revolutionary eras, typically two stories and a boxy frame, the U-shape, with arms extending backwards, presents an entirely different concept unheard of before this period. The extension of the building backwards “‘pushed the dependencies at Monticello into the earth’ (the slave quarters were recessed into the hillside; the kitchen and storerooms were under the house). … Yet Jefferson, the man who coined the words ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,’ owned eighty-three slaves who were housed” (Pohl) separate from the main house and Jefferson himself. Despite his hypocrisy, Jefferson “rejected the blatant use of slaves as a sign of privilege. … In his refusal to play the role of the patriarch surrounded by his charges, he recast patriarchal authority as modern individualism” (Pohl). The Romanesque qualities of Jefferson’s building, the columns and the square structures, reflect the American need for change and separation from British influence while establishing images of stability and confidence in this infant republic.
Works Cited
Pohl, Frances K. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
Images Cited
"Flickriver: Most Interesting Photos Tagged with Virginiaaerialphoto." Flickriver: Most Interesting Photos Tagged with Virginiaaerialphoto. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://flickriver.com/photos/tags/virginiaaerialphoto/interesting/>.
"Maison Carree." Wikipedia. N.p., 25 May 2004. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maison_carree_side.jpg>.
"State Capitol." Virginia Government. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.lva.virginia.gov/exhibits/capitol/temple/sully.htm>.