Middle English Renaissance Peer Reviews

Claire: I liked how she went into detail about the standards that Sir Christopher Wren made during this time period.

Madelyn: I liked how she went into detail more about Sir Christopher Wren's life then just talking about the architectural things he did.

Middle English Renaissance

There were new standards set during the Middle English Renaissance.  Sir Christopher Wren started setting new standards for wall thickness, floor heights, and materials. He was the most renowned English architect of all time.  One of his most known masterpieces was redesigning St. Paul's Cathedral.  It had been neglected for almost two decades.  He studied modern design and construction in Paris.  Wren's first project was the chapel of Pembroke College in Cambridge, which his uncle asked him to design.

  

Queen Anne was the golden age of cabinetwork.  Queen Anne was neither interested nor influential.  There were several developments in social living.  People socialized over tea, coffee, and parlor games.  The interiors became simpler.  Paper or silk were put on the walls.  Queen Anne influenced English trade with China because of these trades the English ended up with authentic Chinese furniture, lacquer, Chinese porcelain, and small tea tables.  Mahogany was big during this era.  It was easier to work with than wood, firmer, easier to carve, absorbs polish easier, and available in wider boards.  Some Queen Anne furniture characteristics are curved lines as a dominating motif, Chinese forms, lacquer as a finish, feminine, cabriole leg, stretchers were eliminated, and furniture was smaller, lighter, and more comfortable.

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Extra Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HimqzQQ93vA

English Renaissance Peer Reviews

Amanda: I liked how she went into detail about each design period and why houses were built in that style during that design period.

Erin: I like how she talked about Inigo Jones and what buildings he has designed.  She also did a good job of putting in pictures of all of the buildings he had designed.

English Renaissance

The English Renaissance all the design periods were named after rulers.  Oak was often used in the English Renaissance.  England was the last to fall to the Renaissance.  They were isolated from other parts of Europe, so their climate and materials influenced their architecture.  Their climate made them have Gothic cathedrals that shelter the nave and side aisles, french doors that open directly into the church, and the windows were larger for more light and warmth.  Their materials depended mostly on their location.  They had large oak forests in England so they had timbered roofs.  They were close to the sea so their woodworking skills were amazing due to them having to build boats.  One of the most famous styles is Tudor Style.  Tudor is associated with timber framed construction.  Tudor period marks the start of the English Renaissance.  The fireplace started to become more of a comfort thing to have in a home.  The furniture for the Tudor period was more gothic.  They had box-like chairs, chests, beds, trestle tables.  Furniture was not a big deal in the Tudor period, so it was very sparse.  Inigo Jones was one of the most famous architects in the English Renaissance.  He introduced Renaissance architecture to England.  His work correlates to the Palladio's work in the Italian Renaissance.  For residential housing smaller houses were built outside the walls of castle.  The simplest residential housing had one room; rooms were added if you were wealthier.

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Extra Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOYb7733aGk

French 2 Peer Review

Claire: I liked how she went into detail about Versailles.  It's amazing that Louis XIV became king at 5 years old.  I didn't know that.

Krista: She went into great detail about the Hall of Mirrors.  It really is one of the most amazing rooms in the whole world.

French 2

The Palace of Versailles is an excellent example of Baroque style.  It all began with Louis XII.  It started as a hunting lodge and then Louis XIV enlarged it into a palace.  The most famous room of the palace is the Hall of Mirrors.  During this time mirrors were the most expensive things to posses.  The Hall of Mirrors reflect the windows that overlook the garden.  It has a total of twenty-one mirrors.  Many of the other pieces of furniture in the Hall of Mirrors were lost in the war for financial purposes.

Palace of Versailles

Hall of Mirrors

The Rococo style of the French Renaissance came after the Baroque period.  The style was ornate, used light colors, asymmetrical designs, curves, and gold. The design was associated with Louis XV reign.  During the Rococo period the furniture was lighthearted.  Furniture now as comfortable and versatile.  Furniture could easily be moved around.  Furniture was now freestanding.  It didn't have to be anchored to the wall.  Mahogany was mainly used for furniture due to its strength.  Mirrors would hang above mantels due to the height of unblemished glass.  The architecture as different too.  There were city mansions and townhouses instead of chateaux and palaces.  The exteriors and gardens seemed less important.  Dwellings seemed smaller.  The interiors were more feminine due to Louis XV's mistress.  They had all the rooms we have today except bathrooms.

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Extra Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6xX1pRYFNY