From Where Did Water Features Emerge?
From Where Did Water Features Emerge? Pope Nicholas V, himself a well educated man, reigned the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455 during which time he commissioned many translations of old classical Greek documents into Latin. It was important for him to beautify the city of Rome to make it worthy of being known as the capital of the Christian world. In 1453 the Pope commissioned the repairing of the Aqua Vergine, an historic Roman aqueduct which had carried clean drinking water into the city from eight miles away. The ancient Roman tradition of building an awe-inspiring commemorative fountain at the point where an aqueduct arrived, also known as a mostra, was revived by Nicholas V. The present-day site of the Trevi Fountain was previously occupied by a wall fountain commissioned by the Pope and built by the architect Leon Battista Alberti. The water which eventually furnished the Trevi Fountain as well as the acclaimed baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona came from the modified aqueduct which he had renovated.The Genesis Of Wall Fountains
The Genesis Of Wall Fountains
The amazing or ornamental effect of a fountain is just one of the purposes it fulfills, in addition to supplying drinking water and adding a decorative touch to your property. The central purpose of a fountain was originally strictly practical. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, via aqueducts or springs nearby. Used until the 19th century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their origin of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from the power of gravity. Artists thought of fountains as amazing additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to provide clean water and honor the designer responsible for building it. Roman fountains often depicted imagery 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. To demonstrate his prominence over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. 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 supply drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Impressive water effects and recycled water were made possible by replacing the power of gravity with mechanical pumps.
Nowadays, fountains decorate public spaces and are used to pay tribute to individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.
"Primitive" Greek Artistry: Large Statuary
"Primitive" Greek Artistry: Large Statuary The primitive Greeks manufactured the first freestanding statuary, an awesome achievement as most sculptures up until then had been reliefs cut into walls and pillars. For the most part the statues, or kouros figures, were of young and attractive male or female (kore) Greeks. Representing beauty to the Greeks, the kouroi were designed to appear stiff and typically had foot forward; the males were vigorous, strong, and nude. Life-sized versions of the kouroi appeared beginning in 650 BC. A significant age of transformation for the Greeks, the Archaic period introduced about newer forms of government, expressions of art, and a higher appreciation of people and customs outside of Greece. Nevertheless, the Greek civilization was not slowed down by these struggles.