"Primitive" Greek Artistry: Large Statuary
"Primitive" Greek Artistry: Large Statuary The Archaic Greeks developed the first freestanding statuary, an impressive achievement as most sculptures up until then had been reliefs cut into walls and pillars. Most of the freestanding statues were of youthful, winsome male or female (kore) Greeks and are termed kouros figures. The kouroi, viewed by the Greeks to exemplify beauty, had one foot stretched out of a strict forward-facing pose and the male figurines were always undressed, with a compelling, sturdy physique.
The kouroi became life-sized commencing in 650 BC. The Archaic period was tumultuous for the Greeks as they evolved into more refined forms of government and art, and gained more information and facts about the peoples and civilizations outside of Greece. But in spite of the disputes, the Greek civilization continued to progress, unabated.
Contemporary Garden Decor: Fountains and their Beginnings
Contemporary Garden Decor: Fountains and their Beginnings
The amazing or ornamental effect of a fountain is just one of the purposes it fulfills, as well as delivering drinking water and adding a decorative touch to your property. Pure functionality was the original purpose of fountains. Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to provide them with potable water as well as water where they could bathe or wash. 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 move down or jet high into the air. Artists thought of fountains as wonderful additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to supply clean water and honor the artist responsible for building it. Roman fountains often depicted imagery of animals or heroes made of metal or stone masks. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden designers included fountains in their designs to mimic the gardens of paradise. To show his prominence over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains made to mark the arrival points of Roman aqueducts.
The end of the 19th century saw the increase in usage of indoor plumbing to supply drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity helped fountains to deliver recycled water into living spaces as well as create unique water effects.
Beautifying city parks, honoring people or events and entertaining, are some of the purposes of modern-day fountains.