Where did Large Outdoor Fountains Begin?
Where did Large Outdoor Fountains Begin?
The incredible architecture of a fountain allows it to provide clean water or shoot water high into air for dramatic effect and it can also serve as an excellent design feature to complete your home. Pure functionality was the original role of fountains. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, from aqueducts or springs in the vicinity. 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 an excellent source of water, and also served to decorate living areas and celebrate the artist. The main components used by the Romans to create their fountains were bronze or stone masks, mostly illustrating animals or heroes. To illustrate the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages introduced fountains to their designs. Fountains enjoyed a significant role in the Gardens of Versailles, all part of French King Louis XIV’s desire to exercise his power over nature. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were glorified with baroque style fountains made to mark the arrival points of Roman aqueducts.
Indoor plumbing became the key source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby limiting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. Gravity was replaced by mechanical pumps in order to enable fountains to bring in clean water and allow for beautiful water displays.
Modern-day fountains serve mostly as decoration for community spaces, to honor individuals or events, and compliment entertainment and recreational gatherings.
Bernini's Garden Fountains
Bernini's Garden Fountains There are countless popular fountains in the city center of Rome. Nearly all of them were designed, conceived and constructed by one of the finest sculptors and designers of the 17th century, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Traces of his life's work are apparent all through the streets of Rome simply because, in addition to his capabilities as a water feature designer, he was additionally a city builder. A famous Florentine sculptor, Bernini's father mentored his young son, and they ultimately moved to Rome to totally exhibit their art, chiefly in the form of community water features and water fountains. The young Bernini earned compliments from Popes and influential artists alike, and was an diligent employee. At the start he was celebrated for his sculptural abilities. Working gracefully with Roman marble, he utilized a base of experience in the historical Greek architecture, most especially in the Vatican. Although a variety of artists impacted his artistic endeavors, Michelangelo affected him the most.