The First Modern Outdoor Wall Fountains
The First Modern Outdoor Wall Fountains The translation of hundreds of classic Greek documents into Latin was commissioned by the scholarly Pope Nicholas V who ruled the Church in Rome from 1397 until 1455. He undertook the embellishment of Rome to make it into the model capital of the Christian world. Reconstruction of the Acqua Vergine, a ruined Roman aqueduct which had transported fresh drinking water into the city from eight miles away, began in 1453 at the bidding of the Pope. The ancient Roman custom of building an imposing commemorative fountain at the location where an aqueduct arrived, also known as a mostra, was restored by Nicholas V. The architect Leon Battista Alberti was directed by the Pope to put up a wall fountain where we now find the Trevi Fountain. Changes and extensions, included in the restored aqueduct, eventually provided the Trevi Fountain and the well-known baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona with the necessary water supply.
Modern Garden Decoration: Garden Fountains and their Roots
Modern Garden Decoration: Garden Fountains and their Roots 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 complement your home.Originally, fountains only served a functional purpose.
People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, via aqueducts or springs in the area. Up to the late nineteenth century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and higher than the fountain so that gravity could make the water flow downwards or shoot high into the air. Serving as an element of adornment and celebration, fountains also provided clean, fresh drinking water. Roman fountains usually depicted images of animals or heroes made of metal or stone masks. Throughout the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners included fountains to create mini variations of the gardens of paradise. The fountains seen in the Gardens of Versailles were intended to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. 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 location where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.
Urban fountains created at the end of the 19th century served only as decorative and celebratory ornaments since indoor plumbing provided the essential drinking water. The introduction of unique water effects and the recycling of water were 2 things made possible by replacing gravity with mechanical pumps.
Modern-day fountains serve mostly as decoration for community spaces, to honor individuals or events, and enhance entertainment and recreational gatherings.
The Understated Charm of the Wall Fountain
The Understated Charm of the Wall Fountain Your family and friends will appreciate the elegance a wall fountain adds to your decor. In addition to the soothing background sounds a wall water feature adds to any living space, it also imparts beauty. In order to leave a lasting memory on your visitors, share the beauty and gentle sounds of your water feature with them.
A living area with a modern theme can also benefit from a wall fountain. They can also add an element of chic to your decor since they are also made in modern-day materials including glass and stainless steel. Is your home or business space in short supply? The best alternative for you is incorporating a wall water fountain. They take up no space since they are placed on a wall. These types of fountains are particularly prevalent in bustling office buildings. You can also mount wall fountains outdoors. Outdoor wall water features can be constructed of fiberglass or resin. Use water fountains made of these waterproof materials to liven up your courtyard, patio, or other outdoor space.
There is wide range of unique styles in wall fountains ranging from the modern to classic and rustic. You can choose the best style based upon your own tastes. The materials used to decorate a mountain lodge differ from that needed to embellish a high-rise apartment, the former perhaps requiring slate and the latter better served with sleek glass. It is up to you to choose the ideal material for you. Fountains are features which no doubt thrill people who visit your home.
Statues As a Staple of Vintage Art in Historic Greece
Statues As a Staple of Vintage Art in Historic Greece The initial freestanding statuary was designed by the Archaic Greeks, a distinguished achievement since until then the sole carvings in existence were reliefs cut into walls and columns.
Most of the freestanding statues were of young, winsome male or female (kore) Greeks and are termed kouros figures. The kouroi, regarded by the Greeks to exemplify beauty, had one foot extended out of a strict forward-facing posture and the male statues were always nude, with a compelling, strong physique. In 650 BC, life-sized models of the kouroi began to be observed. A significant time of improvement for the Greeks, the Archaic period introduced about more forms of state, expressions of artwork, and a greater appreciation of people and customs outside of Greece. Nevertheless, the Greek civilization was not slowed down by these struggles.