"Old School" Fountain Designers
"Old School" Fountain Designers Commonly working as architects, sculptors, designers, engineers and cultivated scholars, all in one, fountain designers were multi-faceted people from the 16th to the late 18th century. Leonardo da Vinci as a inspired master, inventor and scientific expert exemplified this Renaissance artist. He systematically noted his findings in his now recognized notebooks, after his tremendous fascination in the forces of nature inspired him to research the attributes and movement of water. Modifying private villa configurations into imaginative water exhibits complete with symbolic interpretation and natural beauty, early Italian fountain designers coupled imagination with hydraulic and horticultural abilities.
The splendors in Tivoli were provided by the humanist Pirro Ligorio, who was widely known for his capabilities in archeology, engineering and garden design. Well versed in humanist subject areas and classical scientific texts, some other water fountain designers were masterminding the excellent water marbles, water properties and water jokes for the various properties around Florence.
The Beginnings of Modern Wall Fountains
The Beginnings of Modern Wall Fountains Hundreds of ancient Greek records were translated into Latin under the auspices of the scholarly Pope Nicholas V, who led the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455. In order to make Rome deserving of being the capital of the Christian world, the Pope decided to embellish the beauty of the city. Beginning in 1453, the ruined ancient Roman aqueduct known as the Aqua Vergine which had brought fresh drinking water into the city from eight miles away, underwent repair at the behest of the Pope. The ancient Roman tradition of marking the arrival point of an aqueduct with an magnificent celebratory fountain, also known as a mostra, was restored by Nicholas V. The architect Leon Battista Alberti was commissioned by the Pope to build a wall fountain where we now see the Trevi Fountain. Modifications and extensions, included in the restored aqueduct, eventually supplied the Trevi Fountain and the well-known baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona with the necessary water supply.
The Various Construction Materials of Wall fountains
The Various Construction Materials of Wall fountains While today’s garden fountains are made in a range of materials, the majority are crafted from metal. Metals tend to create clean lines and unique sculptural accents and can fit almost any design theme or budget. If you have a contemporary look and feel to your interior design, your yard and garden should have that same style.One of the more popular metals for sculptural garden fountains these days is copper. Copper fountains are the best option because they are perfect for the inside and outside. Another advantage of copper fountains is they are flexible and come in a wide assortment of styles.
If you are drawn to more conventional -looking water fountains, brass is probably the best option for you. Even though they are a bit old-fashioned, brass fountains are quite popular because they often incorporate interesting artwork.
Perhaps the most cutting-edge of all metals is stainless steel. Adding a modern-looking steel design will immediately add value to your garden and elevate the overall mood.
Like all water fountains, you can find them in just about any size you choose.
For people who want the visual appeal of a metal fountain but desire a lighter weight and more affordable option, fiberglass is the answer. Caring for a fiberglass water fountain is relatively easy, another benefit that consumers love.
The First Outdoor Water Features
The First Outdoor Water Features Water fountains were at first practical in function, used to deliver water from canals or springs to cities and villages, supplying the inhabitants with clean water to drink, bathe, and prepare food with. In the years before electricity, the spray of fountains was powered by gravity alone, usually using an aqueduct or water supply located far away in the surrounding hills. Fountains throughout history have been designed as monuments, impressing local citizens and visitors alike. If you saw the very first fountains, you would not recognize them as fountains. Created for drinking water and ceremonial reasons, the 1st fountains were very simple carved stone basins. Rock basins are thought to have been first utilized around 2000 BC. The force of gravity was the energy source that controlled the earliest water fountains. These ancient water fountains were designed to be functional, usually situated along aqueducts, creeks and waterways to provide drinking water. Animals, Gods, and religious figures dominated the early ornate Roman fountains, beginning to show up in about 6 B.C.. A well-engineered system of reservoirs and aqueducts kept Rome's public fountains supplied with fresh water.
Where did Landscape Fountains Begin?
Where did Landscape Fountains Begin?
A fountain, an incredible piece of engineering, not only supplies drinking water as it pours into a basin, it can also launch water high into the air for a noteworthy effect. The main purpose of a fountain was originally strictly practical. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, via aqueducts or springs in the vicinity. Used until the nineteenth century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their origin of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from gravity. Artists thought of fountains as amazing additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to supply clean water and honor the artist responsible for creating it. The main materials used by the Romans to create their fountains were bronze or stone masks, mostly illustrating animals or heroes. To illustrate the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages introduced fountains to their designs. Fountains enjoyed a significant role in the Gardens of Versailles, all part of French King Louis XIV’s desire to exercise his power over nature. To mark the entryway of the restored Roman aqueducts, the Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries commissioned the construction of baroque style fountains in the spot where the aqueducts arrived in the city of Rome
Urban fountains created at the end of the 19th century served only as decorative and celebratory adornments since indoor plumbing provided the essential drinking water. Gravity was substituted by mechanical pumps in order to enable fountains to bring in clean water and allow for amazing water displays.
Modern-day fountains function mostly as decoration for open spaces, to honor individuals or events, and enhance entertainment and recreational gatherings.