"Primitive" Greek Artwork: Garden Statuary
"Primitive" Greek Artwork: Garden Statuary The Archaic Greeks manufactured the 1st 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. Symbolizing beauty to the Greeks, the kouroi were designed to appear rigid and always had foot in front; the males were healthy, robust, and naked.
Where did Garden Water Fountains Begin?
Where did Garden Water 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.Pure practicality was the original purpose of fountains. Water fountains were connected to a spring or aqueduct to supply potable water as well as bathing water for cities, townships and villages. Until the late nineteenth, 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. Fountains were an optimal source of water, and also served to decorate living areas and celebrate the designer. The main materials used by the Romans to build their fountains were bronze or stone masks, mostly depicting animals or heroes. Muslims and Moorish landscaping designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller versions 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. To mark the entrance of the restored Roman aqueducts, the Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries commissioned the building of baroque style fountains in the spot where the aqueducts arrived in the city of Rome
The end of the 19th century saw the increase in usage of indoor plumbing to provide drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Amazing water effects and recycled water were made possible by replacing the force of gravity with mechanical pumps.
Nowadays, fountains adorn public spaces and are used to recognize individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.
A Concise History of Early Public Water Features
A Concise History of Early Public Water Features