THE NEO-CLASSIG MOVEMENT 467
UNITED STATES
Federal Style

Historical Background. The Federal style, which ksted from
1792 to 1825, is known also as Early Republican, or Post-Revolu-
tionary. During this period both France and England influenced
the style of furnishings in the United States.

After the Revolutionary War, Americans were much interested
in their ally France, and ambassadors were exchanged, Benjamin
Franklin going to France and Lafayette coming to the United
States. Lafayette made the Louis XVI style so fashionable in this
country that for many years interiors of southern houses were of
this character, Mount Vernon for example showing its strong in-
fluence. New England too was affected by the style of Louis
XVI, for Marie Antoinette sent a shipload of furniture to Maine,
to which state she had meant to flee. This furniture was later dis-
tributed and had a softening effect on New England furnishings.
Moreover, because of the French Revolution many French families
entered the United States about this time, bringing with them
their household possessions and spreading the Louis XVI style.

American domestic architecture and furnishings of the Federal
period were influenced by the English too, although that influence
came later when more cordial relations were established between
the United States and England. Samuel Mclntyre of Salem, who
was one of the first professional architects in America, built houses
in the best Adam tradition. They were supplied with furniture
made from Adam, Sheraton, or Hepplewhite designs. Furniture
was imported from England, too, and was extensively copied in
the United States. Furthermore, English cabinet makers were
numerous here. English and French furnitures were combined
with pleasing results for they were compatible in all the art ele-
ments—line, form, texture, pattern, and color.

Color, The tendency of this period was towards light, cheer-
ful color schemes because the lighter scale and attenuated motifs
of the Neo-Classic period required the use of light colors. Not
only was the furniture made of light-colored wood or painted in
light colors, but also the walls, ceilings, and woodwork were
painted some light, cool color such as fawn, gray, white, blue, or
green. Sometimes Pompeiian color schemes were employed