The Georgian Period is synonymous with the age of elegance. It spans the reigns of four King Georges, from the accession of George I in 1714 to the death of George IV in 1830. The Classic Georgian style was never static, it evolved throughout the century, veering between elegant restraint and exuberant ornamentation but always retaining its key elements – a commitment to quality and attention to detail.
The Georgian era was relatively tranquil during the rise of an affluent middle class and a sharp rise in house building. As a result, carpenters, cabinet-makers, stonemasons and metalworkers became wealthy and respected members of society. It was a Golden Age, a time for prosperity to be openly expressed and enjoyed, an era that produced such craftsmanship of the highest standards.
Early Georgian 1714 to 1745
The style of the early Georgian period was inspired by the architecture of the early Roman Empire. Most influenced was the 16th century Italian sculptor and architect Andrea Palladio. Palladianism became a instant success in Georgian England. The style adhered to the five classical orders: Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite – the fundamental basis of classical architecture.
Emphasis was always on the symmetrical grand facade, with columns or pilasters highlighting the importance of the first floor. Houses both large and small followed the same square or rectangular plan, with windows of equal size flanking the porticoed front door. Sash windows were favoured, and the Venetian or Palladian window ( an arch flanked by the two rectangular windows) situated above the front door, as a popular focal point.
Interiors followed the same strict classical principles in which proportions were expressed as ratios of a basic cube, and ornament was restricted to the classical orders and motifs.
Mid-Georgian 1745 – 1760
By the mid 18th century, fashionable Georgians were tiring of the constrictions of Palladianism and were actively looking for something a little more frivolous. Many embraced the French rococo style, it was a light airy, asymmetrical style, favouring interiors ornamented with bright colours, complex scrollwork, naturalistic foliage, shell forms and asymmetrical cartouches in giltwood and plasterwork.
The picturesque Gothic style emerged as a particularly English version of rococo, springing from a love of romantic ivy-clad ruins. The style became popular for interiors, especially for rooms such as libraries where the Gothic style might be said to suggest a reverence for the past.
Alongside the Gothic, there was a renewed enthusiasm for chinoiserie, inspired by exotic artifacts, fabrics and wallpapers imported from the Orient. Popular motifs included Chinese figures, dragons, pagodas, bells and latticework. This style was adopted by furniture designers, most notably Thomas Chippendale.
Source: “ Classic Georgian Style” by Henrietta Spencer- Churchill.
Sincerely,
Trina DeLisser
President, St. James Chapter
My next post will reference the late Georgian Period as well as the Regency Period.
Want to experience the Georgian Style? Get tickets to the upcoming "Georgian Soiree" at the Bellefield Great House on November 26. Click here to learn more.
The Georgian era was relatively tranquil during the rise of an affluent middle class and a sharp rise in house building. As a result, carpenters, cabinet-makers, stonemasons and metalworkers became wealthy and respected members of society. It was a Golden Age, a time for prosperity to be openly expressed and enjoyed, an era that produced such craftsmanship of the highest standards.
Early Georgian 1714 to 1745
The style of the early Georgian period was inspired by the architecture of the early Roman Empire. Most influenced was the 16th century Italian sculptor and architect Andrea Palladio. Palladianism became a instant success in Georgian England. The style adhered to the five classical orders: Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite – the fundamental basis of classical architecture.
Emphasis was always on the symmetrical grand facade, with columns or pilasters highlighting the importance of the first floor. Houses both large and small followed the same square or rectangular plan, with windows of equal size flanking the porticoed front door. Sash windows were favoured, and the Venetian or Palladian window ( an arch flanked by the two rectangular windows) situated above the front door, as a popular focal point.
Interiors followed the same strict classical principles in which proportions were expressed as ratios of a basic cube, and ornament was restricted to the classical orders and motifs.
Mid-Georgian 1745 – 1760
By the mid 18th century, fashionable Georgians were tiring of the constrictions of Palladianism and were actively looking for something a little more frivolous. Many embraced the French rococo style, it was a light airy, asymmetrical style, favouring interiors ornamented with bright colours, complex scrollwork, naturalistic foliage, shell forms and asymmetrical cartouches in giltwood and plasterwork.
The picturesque Gothic style emerged as a particularly English version of rococo, springing from a love of romantic ivy-clad ruins. The style became popular for interiors, especially for rooms such as libraries where the Gothic style might be said to suggest a reverence for the past.
Alongside the Gothic, there was a renewed enthusiasm for chinoiserie, inspired by exotic artifacts, fabrics and wallpapers imported from the Orient. Popular motifs included Chinese figures, dragons, pagodas, bells and latticework. This style was adopted by furniture designers, most notably Thomas Chippendale.
Source: “ Classic Georgian Style” by Henrietta Spencer- Churchill.
Sincerely,
Trina DeLisser
President, St. James Chapter
My next post will reference the late Georgian Period as well as the Regency Period.
Want to experience the Georgian Style? Get tickets to the upcoming "Georgian Soiree" at the Bellefield Great House on November 26. Click here to learn more.
