The Defining Characteristics of Classic Greek Sculpture
The Defining Characteristics of Classic Greek Sculpture The first freestanding sculpture was designed by the Archaic Greeks, a notable success since until then the only 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 called kouros figures. The kouroi, considered by the Greeks to exemplify beauty, had one foot stretched out of a strict forward-facing posture and the male figurines were always unclothed, with a strong, sturdy shape. Life-sized versions of the kouroi appeared beginning in 650 BC. The Archaic period was turbulent for the Greeks as they evolved into more refined forms of federal government and art, and obtained more information about the peoples and societies outside of Greece. Wars like The Arcadian wars, the Spartan invasion of Samos, and other wars involving city-states are suggestive of the disruptive nature of the time period, which was similar to other periods of historical upset. However, these conflicts did not significantly hinder the advancement of the Greek civilization.
The Genesis Of Garden Fountains
The Genesis Of Garden Fountains A fountain, an incredible piece of engineering, not only supplies drinking water as it pours into a basin, it can also launch water high into the air for an extraordinary effect.Originally, fountains only served a practical purpose. Water fountains were linked to a spring or aqueduct to provide drinkable water as well as bathing water for cities, townships and villages. Up until the 19th century, fountains had to be more elevated and closer to a water supply, including aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to take advantage of gravity which fed the fountains. Fountains were an excellent source of water, and also served to adorn living areas and memorialize the artist. Roman fountains usually depicted imagery of animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden designers included fountains in their designs to mimic the gardens of paradise. King Louis XIV of France wanted to demonstrate his dominion over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains built to mark the place of entry of Roman aqueducts.
The end of the nineteenth century saw the increase in usage of indoor plumbing to provide drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity enabled fountains to deliver recycled water into living spaces as well as create special water effects.
Decorating city parks, honoring people or events and entertaining, are some of the functions of modern-day fountains.
Back Story of Outdoor Garden Fountains
Back Story of Outdoor Garden Fountains
Himself a highly educated man, Pope Nicholas V led the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 till 1455 and was responsible for the translation of hundreds of age-old documents from their original Greek into Latin. In order to make Rome deserving of being the capital of the Christian world, the Pope resolved to enhance the beauty of the city. Restoration of the Acqua Vergine, a desolate Roman aqueduct which had transported clean 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 awe-inspiring commemorative fountain at the point where an aqueduct arrived, also known as a mostra, was revived by Nicholas V. The architect Leon Battista Alberti was directed by the Pope to build a wall fountain where we now see the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi Fountain as well as the renowned baroque fountains located in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona were eventually supplied with water from the altered aqueduct he had reconstructed.