Because colonists spent most of their time

trying to survive in a new world, most of the

art created was functionalcreated to be
used in everyday life.
Most of the functional art was also very
beautiful.
The colonists made beautiful silverwork,
furniture, dishes, fabrics, quilts, and
needlework.
 As time passed, the colonists interest in art
grew. Wealthy colonists decorated their
homes with European art.
American painters usually studied and started
their careers in Europe.
During this time, colonial artists focused on
painting portraits.
Some of the most famous portraits of the time
are portraits of George Washington by artists
such as Charles Willson Peale.
Silver Teapot, Paul Revere Colonial Needlework
http://chisnell.com/art/Colonial%20and% http://www.ushistory.org/washingtoncr
20Enlightenment/Forms/Gallery.aspx ossing/kids/chores.htm

Portrait of George Washington

by Charles Willson Peale
http://www.history.org/history/paintings/george
_washington/
 Colonial dances were the same dances
colonists had performed in Europe.
These dances are called folk dances because
they were created by regular people, not
choreographers.
People came together for social dances. This
brought the people together as a community
to have fun and socialize.
 Colonists did not dance in pairs. They danced
in lines, with couples facing each other or in
circles.
All dances had particular steps that dancers
were supposed to know. Dancers did not
make up their own steps.
Wealthy parents even hired dancing masters
to teach their children the correct steps.
A famous colonial dance was the Virginia Reel.
The Galena Historic Dance Society
http://www.anniewiggins.com/historic_dance.html
 Most of the music heard in colonial homes and
concert halls was the same as that heard in
Europe.
Mozart, Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi were famous
European composers of the time.
During the colonial period, the piano was a new
instrument, and it began to replace the
harpsichord.
Violins and flutes were common instruments.
Church music was also very important to the
colonists.
Colonial Piano Harpsichord by
http://www.ngaiopress.com/pianocontents.htm
Andreas Ruckers
http://orgs.usd.edu/nmm/Keyboards/Rucke
rsHarpsichord10000/Ruckers1643.html

Colonial Flutes
http://www.apsva.us/Page/6516
 By the colonial period, there were several theaters in
America, particularly in the southern colonies.
An evening at a colonial theater lasted five to six hours.
An evening usually involved a play, dancing, music, and
other performances, such as juggling.
The plays and actors who performed in the colonies
were largely from Europe. The works of William
Shakespeare were very popular.
In some colonies, playacting was not allowed. In
these places, it was considered bad by the church,
possibly because it took peoples time away from their
work at hand.
 Arts & Humanities: The Student Handbook
Elementary EditionIntermediate Grades 4-5

By Katie Fraser Carpenter