Where did Fountains Begin?
Where did Fountains Begin? A fountain, an amazing piece of engineering, not only supplies drinking water as it pours into a basin, it can also propel water high into the air for an extraordinary effect.From the onset, outdoor fountains were simply meant to serve as functional elements.
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 nineteenth, fountains had to be higher and closer to a water source, such as aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to take advantage of gravity which fed the fountains. Fountains were not only used as a water source for drinking water, but also to decorate homes and celebrate the designer who created it. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often times utilized by Romans to decorate their fountains. To replicate the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages introduced fountains to their designs. King Louis XIV of France wanted to demonstrate his dominion over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. Seventeen and 18 century Popes sought to laud their positions by adding decorative baroque-style fountains at the point where restored Roman aqueducts arrived into the city.
The end of the nineteenth century saw the increase in usage of indoor plumbing to supply drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to purely 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.
Modern-day fountains function mostly as decoration for open spaces, to honor individuals or events, and enhance entertainment and recreational gatherings.
Archaic Greek Artistry: Large Statuary
Archaic Greek Artistry: Large Statuary The Archaic Greeks built the first freestanding statuary, an awesome achievement as most sculptures up until then had been reliefs cut into walls and pillars.
Kouros figures, statues of young, good-looking male or female (kore) Greeks, made up the majority of the sculptures. Symbolizing beauty to the Greeks, the kouroi were crafted to look stiff and always had foot forward; the males were healthy, strong, and naked. In about 650 BC, the differences of the kouroi became life-sized. The Archaic period was an incredible point of transformation for the Greeks as they extended into new forms of government, produced fresh expressions of art, and gained knowledge of the people and cultures outside of Greece. But in spite of the issues, the Greek civilization continued to advance, unabated.