Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Fountains
Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Fountains
There are numerous renowned water features in the city center of Rome. One of the most distinguished sculptors and artists of the 17th century, Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed, conceived and constructed almost all of them. Also a city builder, he had skills as a fountain designer, and remnants of his life's work are noticeable throughout the streets of Rome. To completely exhibit their artwork, mainly in the form of public water fountains and water features, Bernini's father, a distinguished Florentine sculptor, guided his young son, and they eventually moved in Rome. The young Bernini was an great worker and attained compliments and patronage of significant painters as well as popes. He was initially celebrated for his sculpture. Working faultlessly with Roman marble, he used a base of expertise in the classic Greek architecture, most famously in the Vatican. Though many artists had an influence on his work, Michelangelo had the most profound effect.
Where did Fountains Originate from?
Where did Fountains Originate from? 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 a noteworthy effect.From the onset, outdoor fountains were soley meant to serve as functional elements. Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to supply them with potable water as well as water where they could bathe or wash. Until the late nineteenth, century most water fountains operated using gravity to allow water to flow or jet into the air, therefore, they needed a supply of water such as a reservoir or aqueduct located higher than the fountain. Fountains were an optimal source of water, and also served to decorate living areas and celebrate the designer. Roman fountains usually depicted imagery of animals or heroes made of metal or stone masks. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners included fountains to create mini depictions of the gardens of paradise. The fountains found in the Gardens of Versailles were supposed to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. The Romans of the 17th and 18th centuries created baroque decorative fountains to glorify the Popes who commissioned them as well as to mark the spot where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.
Indoor plumbing became the key source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby limiting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. The introduction of special water effects and the recycling of water were two things made possible by swapping gravity with mechanical pumps.
Modern-day fountains function mostly as decoration for public spaces, to honor individuals or events, and compliment entertainment and recreational gatherings.