Image – Patriotic Decorating

Patriotic Decorating Page 270

Chapter 8

Patriotic Decorating

After the American Revolution, ideals such as freedom and liberty set a new course for American society. The photo is a picture of Girandole mirror, made from wood or plaster covered in gold leaf. Mirrors such as this one were popular among wealthy fashionable Americans in the 1790s.

Questions for Analysis

1. Take a closer look at the picture of the mirror. Why do you think mirrors such as this one were a part of American decor in the late eighteenth century?

2. What inferences can you make about the mirror’s decorative elements? Why are they particularly resonant in this time period?