Where did Landscape Fountains Begin?
Where did Landscape Fountains Begin? A water fountain is an architectural piece that pours water into a basin or jets it high into the air in order to supply drinking water, as well as for decorative purposes.Originally, fountains only served a functional purpose. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, from aqueducts or springs nearby. Up until the 19th century, fountains had to be more elevated and closer to a water supply, including aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to benefit from gravity which fed the fountains. Artists thought of fountains as wonderful additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to provide clean water and honor the designer responsible for creating it. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often times utilized by Romans to decorate their fountains. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden designers included fountains in their designs to re-create the gardens of paradise.
Fountains enjoyed a considerable role in the Gardens of Versailles, all part of French King Louis XIV’s desire to exercise his power over nature. To mark the entrance 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
Indoor plumbing became the main source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby restricting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. Amazing water effects and recycled water were made possible by switching the power of gravity with mechanical pumps.
Contemporary fountains are used to embellish public spaces, honor individuals or events, and enhance recreational and entertainment events.
Statuary As a Staple of Classic Art in Historic Greece
Statuary As a Staple of Classic Art in Historic Greece The primitive Greeks developed the very first freestanding statuary, an awesome achievement as most sculptures up until then had been reliefs cut into walls and pillars. Most of these freestanding sculptures were what is known as kouros figures, statues of young, attractive male or female (kore) Greeks.
The kouroi, considered by the Greeks to symbolize beauty, had one foot stretched out of a rigid forward-facing posture and the male figurines were always nude, with a strong, powerful build. The kouroi started to be life-sized beginning in 650 BC. The Archaic period was turbulent for the Greeks as they evolved into more polished forms of federal government and art, and gained more information and facts about the peoples and civilizations outside of Greece. Battles like The Arcadian wars, the Spartan invasion of Samos, and other wars involving city-states are indicative of the disruptive nature of the time period, which was similar to other periods of historical upset. However, these conflicts did not significantly hinder the advancement of the Greek civilization.