Bernini’s Early Italian Fountains
Bernini’s Early Italian Fountains The Barcaccia, Bernini's very first water fountain, is a magnificent chef d'oeuvre built at the foot of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. To this day, this area is flooded with Roman locals and travelers alike who enjoy conversation and each other's company. Bernini would undoubtedly have been happy to know that people still flock to what has become one the city's most fashionable areas, that surrounding his amazing fountain. In about 1630, the great artist built the very first fountain of his career at the behest of Pope Ubano VIII. The fountain’s central motif is based on a massive boat slowly sinking into the Mediterranean. The great 16th century flood of the Tevere, which left the entire region inundated with water, was memorialized by the water fountain according to documents from the period. In 1665, France was graced by Bernini's only extended voyage outside of Italy.The Minoan Civilization: Outdoor Fountains
The Minoan Civilization: Outdoor Fountains During archaeological digs on the island of Crete, a variety of types of conduits have been discovered. They were used for water supply as well as removal of storm water and wastewater. The principle materials used were rock or terracotta. Whenever prepared from terracotta, they were typically in the form of canals and round or rectangle-shaped pipes.
These included cone-like and U-shaped clay piping that were exclusive to the Minoans. Terracotta pipes were employed to administer water at Knossos Palace, running up to three meters directly below the floor surfaces. The piping also had other functions including amassing water and diverting it to a main area for storing. This required the clay piping to be suitable for holding water without seepage. Subterranean Water Transportation: It is not quite understood why the Minoans required to transfer water without it being spotted. Quality Water Transportation: Many scholars feel that these water lines were used to generate a different distribution process for the palace.
Archaic Greek Artwork: Outdoor Statuary
Archaic Greek Artwork: Outdoor Statuary The initial freestanding statuary was improved by the Archaic Greeks, a recognized success since until then the only carvings in existence were reliefs cut into walls and columns. Kouros figures, sculptures of young, attractive male or female (kore) Greeks, made up the greater part of the sculptures. Considered by Greeks to embody splendour, the kouroi were created into firm, forward facing poses with one foot outstretched, and the male statues were always nude, muscular, and fit. Around 650 BC, life-sized forms of the kouroi began to be seen. Throughout the Archaic time, a great time of change, the Greeks were evolving new forms of government, expressions of art, and a deeper awareness of people and cultures outside Greece. Battles like The Arcadian wars, the Spartan invasion of Samos, and other wars involving city-states are suggestive of the tumultuous nature of the time period, which was similar to other periods of historical disturbance. However, these conflicts did not significantly hinder the advancement of the Greek civilization.
Where did Landscape Fountains Begin?
Where did Landscape Fountains Begin? A fountain, an amazing 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.From the onset, outdoor fountains were simply there to serve as functional elements. Residents of urban areas, townships and small towns utilized them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash up, which meant that fountains needed to be connected to nearby aqueduct or spring. Up until the nineteenth, fountains had to be more elevated and closer to a water source, including aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to take advantage of gravity which fed the fountains. Artists thought of fountains as amazing additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to supply clean water and celebrate the artist responsible for creating it.
The main components used by the Romans to create their fountains were bronze or stone masks, mostly depicting animals or heroes. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden designers included fountains in their designs to re-create the gardens of paradise. To show his prominence over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains constructed to mark the arrival points of Roman aqueducts.
Urban fountains made at the end of the nineteenth functioned only as decorative and celebratory ornaments since indoor plumbing provided the essential drinking water. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity helped fountains to deliver recycled water into living spaces as well as create unique water effects.
Modern-day fountains function mostly as decoration for open spaces, to honor individuals or events, and enhance entertainment and recreational events.