Statues As a Staple of Classic Art in Archaic Greece
Statues As a Staple of Classic Art in Archaic Greece The Archaic Greeks developed the very first freestanding statuary, an amazing 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 referred to as kouros figures. The kouroi were believed by the Greeks to typify beauty and were sculpted with one foot leading and an uncompromising firmness to their forward-facing poses; the male statues were always strapping, sinewy, and naked. The kouroi started to be life-sized beginning in 650 BC. During the Archaic period, a great time of changes, the Greeks were evolving new forms of government, expressions of art, and a larger understanding of people and cultures outside Greece. During this time and other times of historical tumult, encounters often took place, most notably wars fought amongst city-states such as the Arcadian wars and the Spartan infiltration of Samos.
Exterior Wall Fountains: The Many Styles Available
Exterior Wall Fountains: The Many Styles Available If you want to create a place to relax as well as add some pizzazz to a small area such as a patio or courtyard, wall fountains are ideal because they do not take up much space. Conventional, antique, modern, or Asian are just a few of the styles you can choose from when looking for an outdoor wall fountain to your liking.
It is possible to have one custom-made if you are unable to find a prefabricated fountain to suit you. The two types of water features available to you include mounted and freestanding models. Little, self-contained mounted wall fountains can be hung on any surface. Wall fountains made of resin (resembling stone) or fiberglass are usually lightweight so they can be easily hung. Sizable free-standing wall fountains, often referred to as floor fountains, have their basins positioned on the floor and a flat side leaning on a wall. Generally made of cast stone, this style of water feature is not restricted in weight.
It is a good idea to integrate a custom-made fountain into a new or existing wall, something often recommended by landscape experts. Employing an expert mason is your best option to construct the basin and install the required plumbing. A fountain mask or a spout also needs to be integrated into the wall. Customized wall fountains lend to a unified appearance because they become part of the landscape rather than look like a later addition.
Anglo Saxon Landscapes During the Norman Conquest
Anglo Saxon Landscapes During the Norman Conquest Anglo-Saxons experienced extraordinary modifications to their daily lives in the latter half of the eleventh century due to the accession of the Normans. The talent of the Normans exceeded the Anglo-Saxons' in architecture and agriculture at the time of the conquest. But there was no time for home life, domestic architecture, and decoration until the Normans had conquered the whole realm. Most often built upon windy summits, castles were straightforward constructs that allowed their inhabitants to devote time and space to offensive and defensive schemes, while monasteries were rambling stone buildings commonly added in only the most fecund, extensive valleys. The sterile fortresses did not provide for the quiet avocation of gardening. Berkeley Castle is possibly the most complete model in existence nowadays of the early Anglo-Norman form of architecture. The keep is said to date from the time of William the Conqueror. A significant terrace serves as a deterrent to invaders who would try to mine the walls of the building. On 1 of these terraces sits a stylish bowling green: it's coated in grass and flanked by an old yew hedge that is formed into the shape of rough ramparts.
Bernini's Earliest Masterpieces
Bernini's Earliest Masterpieces Bernini's earliest fountain, named Barcaccia, is a masterful work of art seen at the bottom of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. Roman locals and site seers who appreciate conversation as well as being the company of others still go to this spot. Today, the city streets surrounding Bernini's 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 artist built the first water fountain of his career at the behest of Pope Ubano VIII. The fountain’s central theme is based on a massive boat slowly sinking into the Mediterranean Sea.
Period writings dating back to the 16th century indicate that the fountain was built as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the great flooding of the Tevere. Absenting himself from Italy only once in his life for a prolonged period of time, in 1665 Bernini traveled to France.