Where did Large Outdoor Fountains Originate from?
Where did Large Outdoor Fountains Originate from? 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 purpose of fountains. Inhabitants 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 to the late 19th century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and more elevated than the fountain so that gravity could make the water flow downwards or shoot high into the air.
Designers thought of fountains as amazing additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to supply clean water and honor the designer responsible for building it. Bronze or stone masks of animals and heroes were commonly seen on Roman fountains. Muslims and Moorish garden designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller models of the gardens of paradise. To show his prominence over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. The Romans of the 17th and 18th centuries created baroque decorative fountains to glorify the Popes who commissioned them as well as to mark the location where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.
Urban fountains built at the end of the 19th century functioned only as decorative and celebratory adornments 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 special water effects.
Modern-day fountains function mostly as decoration for public spaces, to honor individuals or events, and compliment entertainment and recreational activities.
The First Modern Outdoor Wall Fountains
The First Modern Outdoor Wall Fountains The translation of hundreds of ancient Greek texts into Latin was commissioned by the learned Pope Nicholas V who ruled the Church in Rome from 1397 till 1455. In order to make Rome deserving of being the capital of the Christian world, the Pope resolved to enhance the beauty of the city. At the behest of the Pope, the Aqua Vergine, a damaged aqueduct which had carried clean drinking water into Rome from eight miles away, was restored starting in 1453.
The ancient Roman custom of marking the arrival point of an aqueduct with an imposing celebratory fountain, also known as a mostra, was restored by Nicholas V. The architect Leon Battista Alberti was directed by the Pope to build a wall fountain where we now find the Trevi Fountain. The water which eventually furnished the Trevi Fountain as well as the famed baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona flowed from the modified aqueduct which he had renovated.
Classic Greece: The Beginnings of Garden Statue Design
Classic Greece: The Beginnings of Garden Statue Design
Traditionally, most sculptors were compensated by the temples to embellish the involved pillars and archways with renderings of the gods, however as the period came to a close it became more accepted for sculptors to portray regular people as well because many Greeks had begun to think of their religion as superstitious rather than sacred. Portraiture, which would be recognized by the Romans upon their annexation of Greek civilization became conventional as well, and thriving families would often commission a rendering of their forebears to be situated in enormous familial tombs. During the the many years of The Greek Classical period, a time of aesthetic progress, the use of sculpture and other art forms greatly improved, so it is inaccurate to think that the arts delivered merely one purpose. Greek sculpture is probably appealing to us all today seeing that it was an avant-garde experiment in the ancient world, so it does not make a difference whether its original function was religious zeal or artistic pleasure.
The Godfather Of Roman Outdoor Fountains
The Godfather Of Roman Outdoor Fountains There are numerous famous water features in Rome’s city center. One of the most distinguished sculptors and designers of the 17th century, Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed, conceived and constructed almost all of them. He was also a city architect, in addition to his abilities as a water fountain designer, and traces of his life's work are noticeable all through the streets of Rome. Bernini's father, a renowned Florentine sculptor, mentored his young son, and they ultimately moved to Rome, in order to fully express their art, primarily in the form of public water fountains and water features. An diligent worker, the young Bernini received praise and patronage of various popes and important designers. He was initially renowned for his sculpture. An authority in classic Greek architecture, he utilized this knowledge as a starting point and melded it gracefully with Roman marble, most notably in the Vatican. Though he was influenced by many, Michelangelo had the most profound effect on him, both personally and professionally.