Dear Jolly Babedance,
Thank you for an interesting question.
The 18th century in England is often referred to as the English
Georgian period after Kings George I, II, and III. It is often divided
into two periods - Early Georgian (1714-1760) and Late Georgian
(1760-1811).
An article on the history of flower arrangement summarises the period:
"Designs were symmetrical, usually triangular, elegant and formal.
Plant material of only one type was often used, and might be of one
color with its variations.
1. Early Georgian (1714 - 1760): These designs were influenced by the
Chinese and Italian Baroque, which employed rich, warm colors and
heavy urns of metal or marble.
2. Late Georgian (1760) - 1820): Designs of the period reflected the
influence of the French Rococo in the use of more delicate plant
materials and colors. ?(Source: Lexicon Enterprises, "Design History"
<http://www.floralart.net/specials.htm>).
The Georgian period saw unparalleled urban reconstruction. The impact
on decorative arts and flower arrangements is not only in colours, but
in all of the components of the development of those arts.
The Georgian period is important in its contribution to floristry and
to other realms of design. Garden design, horticulture in general and
flower-arrangements in particular experienced a boost in that period.
Flower arrangements are full of fragrance:
"The 15th and 16th Century collective fortresses of England gave way
to smaller houses, into which flowers were brought, more for their
fragrance than their beauty, since it was a period during which
pestilence prevailed. Arrangements during the first half of this
period consisted of flowers simply crammed into sturdy containers,
with little or no concern for design. But during the later portion of
the century, arrangements with a greater sense of design became more
evident. Some of the containers of the period were made specifically
to hold flowers, with holes or openings to maintain the stems at
particular angles. This period is also one which introduced the
nosegay, or as it was called in England, the Tussy Mussy. The favorite
flower in Great Britain was the rose, and so roses were used in
abundance for floral arrangements"
(Source: <http://aesop.rutgers.edu/~greenmachine/COMM_FL_DESIGN/HISTORYOFFLORALDESIGN/EUROPESPECIFIC/europespecific.html#anchor643725>
General information on the usage of colour, and on design (interior
and garden design), could be found in the BBC site (in a section on
Georgian design) <http://www.bbc.co.uk/homes/design/period_style/georgian.shtml>.
Another influence during that period - aside from the formation of
small-housing communities - was trade with China and the influences of
Chinese art on colour perceptions and on decoration in general; as
well as an intensified French influence in the late Georgian period:
"Overlapping the end of the Baroque Period were the reigns of the
English kings George I and George II. This Georgian Period in English
design moved from the painters' influence (who were cramming seasonal
flowers and branches into urns) toward the classical work of such
artisans as ceramics maker Wedgwood and cabinetmakers Chippendale and
Heppelwhite. Trade with China also introduced new materials to modify
the formal Baroque style on the continent. Triangular designs were
developed, some based on only a single color or just a single flower
type - a major break from the lavish style on the continent. Another
design innovation during this time was the tuzzy-muzzy, or nosegay,
originally as an accessory for fashionable women and later placed in
bowls on the table in the first use of table centrepieces as we
consider them today." (Source: Cached version of Prof. Alan McDaniel's
page on floral design
<http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:oUlBCUux7UMJ:www.hort.vt.edu/NEWSITE/faculty/McDaniel/hort2164/R2HistoricalAspects.htm+%22georgian+period%22+%22flower+arrangement%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8>
(site not available)).
Further Reading
================
Blacker, Mary Rose. Flora domestica; a history of flower arranging,
1500?1930. National Trust, 2000
Brown, David. Nathaniel Richmond one of the first ornamental gardeners
and the London network in the midGeorgian period. The London Gardener
4 1998/1999, 37?39
Ellis, Joyce M. The Georgian Town, 1680-1840 Palgrave, 2001 (see: Ch. 5)
Finally, if you're looking for further information, a good address
would be The Georgian Group <http://www.georgiangroup.org.uk/>.
I hope this answered your question. I used several search terms:
[Various period terms: "Georgian period", "early Georgian", "late
Georgian"] + [various terms related to your question: colour, color,
"flower arrangement", "floristry", "floral design", decoration,
decorating, art]
Please contact me if you need any further clarification on this answer
before you tip/rate it. |
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