Anglo-Saxon Grounds During the Norman Conquest

Anglo-Saxon Grounds During the Norman Conquest The arrival of the Normans in the second half of the 11th century substantially transformed The Anglo-Saxon ways of living. Engineering and gardening were abilities that the Normans excelled in, trumping that of the Anglo-Saxons at the time of the occupation. But the Normans had to pacify the entire territory before they could focus on home life, domestic architecture, and decoration. Monasteries and castles served separate functions, so while monasteries were enormous stone structures assembled in only the most productive, wide dales, castles were set upon blustery knolls where the people focused on learning offensive and defensive techniques. The calm practice of gardening was not viable in these bleak bastions. The early Anglo-Norman style of architecture is portrayed in Berkeley Castle, which is most likely the most untouched illustration we have. The keep is said to date from the time of William the Conqueror. As a method of deterring assailants from tunneling beneath the walls, an immense terrace encompasses the building. One of these terraces, a charming bowling green, is covered grass and flanked by an aged yew hedge trimmed into the shape of crude battlements.

Bernini's Earliest Masterpieces

Bernini's Earliest Masterpieces The Barcaccia, Bernini's first water fountain, is a striking chef d'oeuvre built at the bottom of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. This spot is still filled with Roman locals and tourists who like to exchanging gossip or going over the day's news. Today, the city streets around Bernini's water fountain are a trendy place where people go to meet, something which the artist would have been pleased to learn. In about 1630, the great master built the first water fountain of his career at the behest of Pope Ubano VIII. An enormous boat slowly sinking into the Mediterranean is the fountain's main theme. According to 16th century documents, a great flood of the Tevere covered the entire area in water, an event which was commemorated by the tremendous fountain. In 1665 Bernini journeyed to France, in what was to be his only extended absence from Italy.

Architectural Statues in Early Greece

Architectural Statues in Early Greece A good number of sculptors were paid by the temples to enhance the elaborate pillars and archways with renderings of the gods right up until the time period came to a close and countless Greeks began to think of their religion as superstitious rather than sacred, when it became more common for sculptors to represent ordinary men and women as well. Portraiture became widespread as well, and would be embraced by the Romans when they defeated the Greeks, and on occasion wealthy families would commission a depiction of their progenitors to be placed inside their grand familial tombs. A time of artistic enhancement, the use of sculpture and other art forms transformed throughout the Greek Classical period, so it is inaccurate to suggest that the arts served only one function. Greek sculpture was actually a modern component of antiquity, whether the reason was faith based fervor or visual fulfillment, and its modern quality may be what endears it to us today.