The Father Of Rome's Fountain Design
The Father Of Rome's Fountain Design There are many celebrated Roman water fountains in its city center. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, one of the most brilliant sculptors and artists of the 17th century designed, conceptualized and built virtually all of them. Also a city designer, he had skills as a water fountain designer, and traces of his life's work are obvious throughout the avenues of Rome. Eventually travelling to Rome to totally express their artwork, primarily in the form of community water fountains, Bernini’s father, a famed Florentine sculptor, guided his young son. The young Bernini received praise from Popes and influential artists alike, and was an excellent worker.
At first he was celebrated for his sculpting skills. Most particularly in the Vatican, he used a base of knowledge in ancient Greek architecture and melded it seamlessly with Roman marble. Although many artists impacted his artistic endeavors, Michelangelo affected him the most.
The Main Characteristics of Ancient Greek Statuary
The Main Characteristics of Ancient Greek Statuary The Archaic Greeks built the 1st freestanding statuary, an awesome achievement as most sculptures up until then had been reliefs cut into walls and pillars. Kouros figures, sculptures of young, good-looking male or female (kore) Greeks, made up the bulk of the sculptures. Thought of by Greeks to embody splendour, the kouroi were created into firm, forward facing positions with one foot outstretched, and the male statues were always nude, well-built, and fit. Life-sized versions of the kouroi appeared beginning in 650 BC. The Archaic period was an awesome point of transformation for the Greeks as they grew into new forms of government, produced fresh expressions of art, and gained information of the men and women and cultures outside of Greece. But in spite of the disputes, the Greek civilization went on to advance, unabated.The Genesis Of Wall Fountains
The Genesis Of Wall Fountains The amazing or ornamental effect of a fountain is just one of the purposes it fulfills, in addition to providing drinking water and adding a decorative touch to your property.Originally, fountains only served a functional purpose. Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to provide them with potable water as well as water where they could bathe or wash.
Used until the nineteenth century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their source of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from the power of gravity. Fountains were not only utilized as a water source for drinking water, but also to adorn homes and celebrate the artist who created it. The main materials used by the Romans to build their fountains were bronze or stone masks, mostly depicting animals or heroes. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners included fountains to create smaller depictions of the gardens of paradise. The fountains found in the Gardens of Versailles were intended to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains built to mark the place of entry of Roman aqueducts.
Since indoor plumbing became the norm of the day for fresh, drinking water, by the end of the 19th century urban fountains were no longer needed for this purpose and they became purely ornamental. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity helped fountains to deliver recycled water into living spaces as well as create special water effects.
Modern fountains are used to embellish public spaces, honor individuals or events, and enhance recreational and entertainment events.
The First Contemporary Outdoor Wall Fountains
The First Contemporary Outdoor Wall Fountains Pope Nicholas V, himself a well educated man, reigned the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455 during which time he commissioned many translations of ancient classic Greek documents into Latin. He undertook the beautification of Rome to turn it into the worthy seat of the Christian world. Beginning in 1453, the ruined ancient Roman aqueduct known as the Aqua Vergine which had brought clean drinking water into the city from eight miles away, underwent reconstruction at the behest of the Pope.
A mostra, a monumental commemorative fountain constructed by ancient Romans to mark the point of entry of an aqueduct, was a tradition which was revived by Nicholas V. The architect Leon Battista Alberti was directed by the Pope to build a wall fountain where we now see the Trevi Fountain. The aqueduct he had refurbished included modifications and extensions which eventually allowed it to supply water to the Trevi Fountain as well as the renowned baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona.