Ancient Greece: Architectural Sculpture
Ancient Greece: Architectural Sculpture Traditionally, most sculptors were compensated by the temples to adorn the involved columns and archways with renderings of the gods, but as the era came to a close it grew to be more common for sculptors to present regular people as well simply because many Greeks had begun to think of their religion as superstitious rather than sacred. Portraiture, which would be accepted by the Romans upon their annexation of Greek society became traditional as well, and wealthy family members would sometimes commission a portrayal of their forebears to be added in enormous familial tombs. During the the years of The Greek Classical period, a time of artistic progress, the use of sculpture and other art forms transformed, so it is inaccurate to think that the arts served merely one purpose. Greek sculpture is perhaps attractive to us all today because it was an avant-garde experiment in the ancient world, so it does not matter whether its original function was religious zeal or artistic enjoyment.Water Fountain Builders Through History
Water Fountain Builders Through History Often working as architects, sculptors, artists, engineers and cultivated scholars all in one, from the 16th to the later part of the 18th century, fountain designers were multi-faceted people, Leonardo da Vinci as a inspired intellect, inventor and scientific virtuoso exemplified this Renaissance artist. He methodically registered his findings in his now much celebrated notebooks about his research into the forces of nature and the attributes and movement of water. Combining creativity with hydraulic and landscaping abilities, early Italian fountain designers transformed private villa settings into innovative water exhibits full of emblematic implications and natural beauty. The humanist Pirro Ligorio brought the vision behind the wonders in Tivoli and was distinguished for his skill in archeology, architecture and garden design. Masterminding the fascinating water marbles, water attributes and water pranks for the various estates near Florence, some other fountain creators were well versed in humanistic subjects and classical scientific texts.The Origins Of Fountains
The Origins Of Fountains A water fountain is an architectural piece that pours water into a basin or jets it high into the air in order to supply drinkable water, as well as for decorative purposes.
Pure practicality was the original purpose of fountains. Water fountains were linked to a spring or aqueduct to supply drinkable water as well as bathing water for cities, townships and villages. Until the late 19th, century most water fountains functioned using gravity to allow water to flow or jet into the air, therefore, they needed a supply of water such as a reservoir or aqueduct located higher than the fountain. Artists thought of fountains as wonderful additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to supply clean water and honor the designer responsible for creating it. Roman fountains often depicted imagery of animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks. Muslims and Moorish garden designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller models of the gardens of paradise. King Louis XIV of France wanted to illustrate his dominion over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. Seventeen and 18 century Popes sought to extol their positions by including beautiful baroque-style fountains at the point where restored Roman aqueducts arrived into the city.
Urban fountains built at the end of the nineteenth functioned only as decorative and celebratory adornments since indoor plumbing provided the necessary drinking water. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity helped fountains to provide recycled water into living spaces as well as create special water effects.
Modern-day fountains serve mostly as decoration for community spaces, to honor individuals or events, and enhance entertainment and recreational activities.
The Beginnings of Modern Wall Fountains
The Beginnings of Modern Wall Fountains Himself a learned man, Pope Nicholas V headed the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 till 1455 and was responsible for the translation of hundreds of ancient texts from their original Greek into Latin. Embellishing Rome and making it the worthy capital of the Christian world was at the core of his ambitions. At the behest of the Pope, the Aqua Vergine, a damaged aqueduct which had transported clean drinking water into Rome from eight miles away, was renovated starting in 1453. The ancient Roman custom of marking the entry point of an aqueduct with an magnificent celebratory fountain, also known as a mostra, was restored by Nicholas V. The present-day location of the Trevi Fountain was once occupied by a wall fountain commissioned by the Pope and built by the architect Leon Battista Alberti. The water which eventually furnished the Trevi Fountain as well as the famed baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona came from the modified aqueduct which he had renovated.