Comparison And Palladianism: Thomas Jefferson And Benjamin Henry Latrobe

Introduction

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) and Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820) were both active architects during the neoclassical period in America. At the time, the neoclassical style in America was closely linked to the country’s political status as a new republic. Since ancient Rome was the only true example of a major republic in Western history, it worked as inspiration as well as an architectural ideal.

Furthermore, Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, played a large role in introducing neoclassicism as a style for federal buildings. Jefferson, apart from being president and an American Founding Father, was also an amateur architect. His early designs of the 1770s are clearly influenced by neoclassical ideals, namely the ones based on the ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect Andreo Palladio. In order to support his own republic and democratic ideals, Jefferson used this “intellectual attitude” inspired by Palladio – Palladianism – in federal buildings.

Construction was resumed in 1803, with Latrobe as architect. Latrobe designed the central portion of the first building, and modified Thornton’s design so that committee rooms and offices would fit in the south wing. He also designed octastyle porticos for the west and east front of the building, and a colonnade behind the east portico that spanned the entire center section. In order to keep the view of his low dome uninterrupted, Latrobe designed the pediment of the central section to be shallow enough to not reach over the top of the entablature. Another thing that Latrobe designed were the columns in Corinthian style at the east front. Their capitals depicted corn cobs and tobacco leaves, as symbols of the country’s prosperity and the nation’s wealth,