The Major Characteristics of Classic Greek Statues

The Major Characteristics of Classic Greek Statues The primitive Greeks manufactured the very first freestanding statuary, an impressive achievement as most sculptures up until then had been reliefs cut into walls and pillars. Kouros figures, sculptures of young, handsome male or female (kore) Greeks, made up the majority of the statues. Major Characteristics Classic Greek Statues 26285613738.jpg

Major Characteristics Classic Greek Statues 26285613738.jpg

The kouroi, viewed by the Greeks to symbolize beauty, had one foot stretched out of a strict forward-facing posture and the male figurines were always nude, with a powerful, sturdy physique. In about 650 BC, the variations of the kouroi became life-sized. A substantial time of transformation for the Greeks, the Archaic period brought about more forms of state, expressions of artwork, and a higher comprehension of people and cultures outside of Greece. Conflicts like The Arcadian wars, the Spartan invasion of Samos, and other wars between city-states are suggestive of the disruptive nature of the time, which was similar to other periods of historical disturbance. However, these conflicts did not significantly hinder the advancement of the Greek civilization.

The Source of Modern Fountains

The Source of Modern Fountains Pope Nicholas V, himself a learned man, reigned the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455 during which time he commissioned many translations of old classical Greek texts into Latin. He undertook the beautification of Rome to turn it into the worthy capital of the Christian world. Restoration of the Acqua Vergine, a desolate Roman aqueduct which had carried fresh drinking water into the city from eight miles away, began in 1453 at the bidding of the Pope. Source Modern Fountains 508155101.jpg

Building a mostra, an imposing celebratory fountain built by ancient Romans to memorialize the entry point of an aqueduct, was a custom revived by Nicholas V. The Trevi Fountain now occupies the space formerly filled with a wall fountain crafted by Leon Battista Albert, an architect commissioned by the Pope. The water which eventually supplied the Trevi Fountain as well as the famed baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona came from the modified aqueduct which he had renovated.

Ancient Fountain Designers

Ancient Fountain Designers Often serving as architects, sculptors, artists, engineers and highly educated scholars all in one, from the 16th to the later part of the 18th century, fountain designers were multi-faceted individuals, Exemplifying the Renaissance artist as a imaginative genius, Leonardo da Vinci performed as an innovator and scientific expert. With his immense fascination concerning the forces of nature, he investigated the properties and mobility of water and systematically documented his findings in his now famed notebooks. Brilliant water exhibits packed of symbolic meaning and all-natural charm converted private villa settings when early Italian fountain designers paired creativity with hydraulic and gardening expertise. The humanist Pirro Ligorio provided the vision behind the wonders in Tivoli and was distinguished for his virtuosity in archeology, architecture and garden design. Well versed in humanist subject areas as well as ancient scientific texts, other fountain designers were masterminding the extraordinary water marbles, water functions and water antics for the countless estates around Florence.