"Primitive" Greek Art: Large Statuary
"Primitive" Greek Art: Large Statuary The Archaic Greeks manufactured the first freestanding statuary, an awesome achievement as most sculptures up until then had been reliefs cut into walls and pillars.
Youthful, attractive male or female (kore) Greeks were the subject matter of most of the statues, or kouros figures. Thought of by Greeks to represent beauty, the kouroi were shaped into stiff, forward facing poses 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. During the Archaic period, a great time of change, the Greeks were developing new sorts of government, expressions of art, and a greater awareness of people and cultures outside Greece. But in spite of the disputes, the Greek civilization went on to progress, unabated.
Keep Your Outdoor Garden Fountain Tidy
Keep Your Outdoor Garden Fountain Tidy In order to ensure that water fountains last a long time, it is important to perform regular maintenance.
Leaves, twigs, and bugs often find their way into fountains, so it is vital to keep yours free from such debris. Also, algae has a tendency to build up anywhere natural light meets water. Stir hydrogen peroxide, sea salt, or vinegar into the water to avoid this particular problem. There are those who choose to use bleach, but that is dangerous to any animals that might drink or bathe in the water - so should therefore be avoided. Experts recommend that the typical garden fountain undergoes a thorough scrubbing every three-four months. Before you can start washing it you should drain out all of the water. Then use a soft cloth and gentle cleanser to scrub the inside. A useful tip is to use a toothbrush if there are tiny hard-to-reach spots. Any soap residue remaining on your fountain can damage it, so be sure it is all rinsed off.
Make sure you get rid of any calcium or plankton by taking the pump apart and scrubbing the inside carefully. Letting it soak in vinegar for several hours first will make it much easier to clean. If you want to eliminate build-up in your fountain, use rain water or mineral water rather than tap water, as these don’t contain any elements that will stick to the inside of the pump.
And finally, make sure the water level is always full in order to keep your fountain working smoothly. Allowing the water to drop below the pump’s intake level, can cause major damage and even make the pump burn out - an undesired outcome!
Modern Garden Decor: Garden Fountains and their Roots
Modern Garden Decor: Garden Fountains and their Roots The amazing or decorative effect of a fountain is just one of the purposes it fulfills, in addition to delivering drinking water and adding a decorative touch to your property. From the beginning, outdoor fountains were soley there to serve as functional elements. 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. Up until the nineteenth, fountains had to be more elevated and closer to a water supply, such as aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to benefit from gravity which fed the fountains. Fountains were an excellent source of water, and also served to adorn living areas and celebrate the artist. Bronze or stone masks of animals and heroes were commonly seen on Roman fountains. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners included fountains to create smaller depictions of the gardens of paradise. Fountains played a considerable role in the Gardens of Versailles, all part of French King Louis XIV’s desire to exert his power over nature. The Romans of the 17th and 18th centuries manufactured baroque decorative fountains to glorify the Popes who commissioned them as well as to mark the spot where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.
The end of the 19th century saw the rise in usage of indoor plumbing to provide drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity helped fountains to provide recycled water into living spaces as well as create special water effects.
Nowadays, fountains decorate public spaces and are used to pay tribute to individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.