Archaic Greek Art: Garden Statuary

Archaic Greeks were known for developing the first freestanding statuary; up till then, most carvings were constructed out of walls and pillars as reliefs. Youthful, ideal male or female (kore) Greeks were the subject matter of most of the statues, or kouros figures. Symbolizing beauty to the Greeks, the kouroi were made to look rigid and always had foot in front; the males were healthy, strong, and naked. In around 650 BC, the varieties of the kouroi became life-sized. The Archaic period was an incredible point of transformation for the Greeks as they extended into new forms of government, produced unique expressions of art, and gained insights of the men and women and cultures outside of Greece. But in spite of the issues, the Greek civilization continued to progress, unabated.

Back Story of Outdoor Water Fountains

Back Story of Outdoor Water Fountains Himself a highly educated man, Pope Nicholas V led the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 till 1455 and was responsible for the translation of hundreds of ancient documents from their original Greek into Latin. Embellishing Rome and making it the worthy capital of the Christian world was at the heart of his objectives. Restoration of the Acqua Vergine, a desolate Roman aqueduct which had carried fresh drinking water into the city from eight miles away, began in 1453 at the behest of the Pope. Building a mostra, a grandiose celebratory fountain built by ancient Romans to memorialize the entry point of an aqueduct, was a custom revived by Nicholas V. The Trevi Fountain now occupies the space formerly filled with a wall fountain crafted by Leon Battista Albert, an architect commissioned by the Pope. The Trevi Fountain as well as the well-known baroque fountains located in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona were eventually supplied with water from the modified aqueduct he had rebuilt.

Water Features Found in Historical Documents

Water Features Found in Historical Documents Water Features Found Historical Documents 7001638532002.jpg

The water from rivers and other sources was initially delivered to the occupants of nearby towns and municipalities through water fountains, whose purpose was largely practical, not aesthetic. To produce water flow through a fountain until the late 1800’s, and create a jet of water, mandated gravity and a water source such as a creek or reservoir, located higher than the fountain. Inspirational and impressive, prominent water fountains have been crafted as monuments in most cultures. Simple in design, the very first water fountains did not look much like present fountains. Simple stone basins created from nearby rock were the very first fountains, used for spiritual functions and drinking water. 2000 BC is when the earliest known stone fountain basins were used. Gravity was the energy source that operated the earliest water fountains. Positioned near aqueducts or creeks, the practical public water fountains provided the local citizens with fresh drinking water. Fountains with ornate decoration began to show up in Rome in approximately 6 B.C., commonly gods and animals, made with natural stone or copper-base alloy. The impressive aqueducts of Rome furnished water to the eye-catching public fountains, most of which you can visit today.