Ancient Greece: Cultural Statuary

Most sculptors were remunerated by the temples to adorn the elaborate columns and archways with renderings of the gods right up until the period came to a close and many Greeks began to think of their religion as superstitious rather than sacred, when it became more common for sculptors to represent ordinary men and women as well. Portraiture, which would be recognized by the Romans upon their annexation of Greek civilization became customary as well, and wealthy family members would often commission a portrait of their forebears to be situated in immense familial tombs. It is amiss to state that the arts had one aim during the course of The Classical Greek period, a time period of creative accomplishment during which the usage of sculpture and alternative art forms changed. Greek sculpture is probably attractive to us all at present seeing that it was an avant-garde experiment in the ancient world, so it doesn't make a difference whether its original function was religious zeal or artistic pleasure.

The Source of Today's Wall Fountains

Source Today's Wall Fountains 64633419746987674.jpg

The Source of Today's Wall Fountains Himself a highly educated man, Pope Nicholas V headed the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 till 1455 and was responsible for the translation of scores of ancient documents from their original Greek into Latin. It was imperative for him to embellish the city of Rome to make it worthy of being known as the capital of the Christian world. Starting in 1453, the ruined ancient Roman aqueduct known as the Aqua Vergine which had brought fresh drinking water into the city from eight miles away, underwent reconstruction at the behest of the Pope. The ancient Roman custom of building an awe-inspiring commemorative fountain at the location where an aqueduct arrived, also known as a mostra, was resurrected by Nicholas V. The present-day site of the Trevi Fountain was formerly occupied by a wall fountain commissioned by the Pope and built by the architect Leon Battista Alberti. The water which eventually provided the Trevi Fountain as well as the acclaimed baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona flowed from the modified aqueduct which he had renovated.