Statuary As a Staple of Classic Art in Ancient Greece
Statuary As a Staple of Classic Art in Ancient Greece Up until the Archaic Greeks created the 1st freestanding sculpture, a noteworthy success, carvings had mostly been completed in walls and pillars as reliefs. Kouros figures, sculptures of adolescent, attractive male or female (kore) Greeks, made up the majority of the statues. The kouroi, viewed as by the Greeks to exemplify beauty, had one foot extended out of a strict forward-facing pose and the male figurines were regularly nude, with a strong, powerful shape. Life-sized versions of the kouroi appeared beginning in 650 BC. Throughout the Archaic period, a great time of change, the Greeks were evolving new sorts of government, expressions of art, and a greater awareness of people and cultures outside Greece. During this time and other times of historical tumult, clashes often took place, among them battles fought between city-states such as the Arcadian wars and the Spartan infiltration of Samos.The Many Reasons to Include a Fountain
The Many Reasons to Include a Fountain
The inclusion of a wall fountain or an outdoor garden fountain is an excellent way to embellish your yard or garden design. Many current designers and craftsmen have been inspired by historical fountains and water features. You can also strengthen the connection to the past by incorporating one of these to your home's interior design. Among the many properties of these beautiful garden water features is the water and moisture they release into the air which attracts birds and other wild life as well as helps to balance the ecosystem. For example, birds lured by a fountain or birdbath can be useful because they fend off bothersome flying insects. The space necessary for a cascading or spouting fountain is substantial, so a wall fountain is the ideal size for a small yard. There are two types of fountains to choose from including the freestanding model with a flat back and an attached basin set up against a fence or a wall in your yard, or the wall-mounted, self-contained version which is hung directly on a wall. Both a fountain mask located on the existing wall as well as a basin located at the bottom to collect the water are necessary if you wish to add a fountain. It is best not to attempt this job on your own as skilled plumbers and masons are more suitable to do this kind of work.
The Source of Modern Garden Water Fountains
The Source of Modern Garden Water Fountains
Hundreds of ancient Greek documents were translated into Latin under the auspices of the scholarly Pope Nicholas V, who led the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455. It was important for him to embellish the city of Rome to make it worthy of being known as the capital of the Christian world. At the bidding of the Pope, the Aqua Vergine, a damaged aqueduct which had transported clean drinking water into Rome from eight miles away, was restored starting in 1453. A mostra, a monumental dedicatory fountain built by ancient Romans to mark the point of arrival of an aqueduct, was a practice which was restored by Nicholas V. At the bidding of the Pope, architect Leon Battista Alberti undertook the construction of a wall fountain in the spot where we now find the Trevi Fountain. The aqueduct he had reconditioned included modifications and extensions which eventually allowed it to supply water to the Trevi Fountain as well as the famed baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona.
Bernini’s Early Italian Water Fountains
Bernini’s Early Italian Water Fountains One can find Bernini's earliest masterpiece, the Barcaccia fountain, at the base of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. This spot continues to be filled with Roman locals and visitors who like to exchanging gossip or going over the day's news. Today, the city streets surrounding Bernini's water fountain are a trendy area where people go to meet, something which the artist would have been pleased to learn. The master's first fountain of his career was built at around 1630 at the behest of Pope Urbano VIII. The fountain’s central theme is based on a massive ship slowly sinking into the Mediterranean. Period reports dating back to the 16th century show that the fountain was built as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the great flooding of the Tevere. In what turned out to be his only prolonged absence from Italy, Bernini {journeyed | traveled] to France in 1665.