Contemporary Garden Decoration: Outdoor Fountains and their Beginnings
Contemporary Garden Decoration: Outdoor Fountains and their Beginnings
The amazing or decorative effect of a fountain is just one of the purposes it fulfills, as well as delivering drinking water and adding a decorative touch to your property. Pure functionality was the original purpose of fountains. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, via aqueducts or springs in the vicinity. Up to the late 19th century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and more elevated than the fountain so that gravity could make the water move down or shoot high into the air. Fountains were an optimal source of water, and also served to decorate living areas and memorialize the designer. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often used by Romans to beautify their fountains. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden designers included fountains in their designs to re-create 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 Romans of the 17th and 18th centuries manufactured baroque decorative fountains to exalt the Popes who commissioned them as well as to mark the spot where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.
Since indoor plumbing became the standard of the day for clean, drinking water, by the end of the 19th century urban fountains were no longer needed for this purpose and they became purely ornamental. The introduction of special water effects and the recycling of water were 2 things made possible by replacing gravity with mechanical pumps.
Beautifying city parks, honoring people or events and entertaining, are some of the purposes of modern-day fountains.
Anglo Saxon Gardens at the Time of the Norman Conquest
Anglo Saxon Gardens at the Time of the Norman Conquest The Anglo-Saxon way of life was significantly changed by the introduction of the Normans in the later eleventh century. The Normans were much better than the Anglo-Saxons at architecture and horticulture when they came into power. But before concentrating on home-life or having the occasion to contemplate domestic architecture or decoration, the Normans had to subjugate an entire society. Because of this, castles were cruder buildings than monasteries: Monasteries were usually important stone buildings set in the biggest and most fertile valleys, while castles were constructed on windy crests where their residents devoted time and space to projects for offense and defense.
Relaxing pursuits such as gardening were out of place in these destitute citadels. The finest specimen of the early Anglo-Norman style of architecture existent today is Berkeley Castle. The keep is thought to date from the time of William the Conqueror. A massive terrace serves as a deterrent to invaders who would attempt to mine the walls of the building. On one of these parapets is a picturesque bowling green covered in grass and enclosed by an aged hedge of yew that has been designed into coarse battlements.
The Original Water Fountain Designers
The Original Water Fountain Designers Multi-talented people, fountain artists from the 16th to the late 18th century frequently worked as architects, sculptors, artists, engineers and cultivated scholars all in one person. Leonardo da Vinci, a Renaissance artist, was renowned as a inspired intellect, inventor and scientific master. He systematically noted his experiences in his now renowned notebooks, after his immense curiosity in the forces of nature inspired him to explore the properties and mobility of water. Brilliant water exhibits loaded of symbolic meaning and all-natural grace converted private villa settings when early Italian water feature creators paired creativity with hydraulic and gardening skill. The humanist Pirro Ligorio supplied the vision behind the wonders in Tivoli and was celebrated for his virtuosity in archeology, architecture and garden design. Masterminding the extraordinary water marbles, water attributes and water antics for the various properties near Florence, other water feature creators were well versed in humanist themes as well as ancient technical texts.The Various Construction Materials of Garden Water fountains
The Various Construction Materials of Garden Water fountains
Garden fountains today are typically made from metal, although you can find them in other materials too. Those made from metals have clean lines and attractive sculptural elements, and are flexible enough to fit any budget and decor. Your outdoor design should complement the style of your residence. One of the most popular metals for sculptural garden fountains presently is copper. Copper is used in cascade and tabletop water fountains as well as many other styles, making it perfect for inside and outside fountains. Another advantage of copper fountains is they are versatile and come in a wide variety of styles.
Also popular, brass fountains typically have a more old-fashioned look to them versus their copper counterpart. You will see a lot of brass fountains, as their interesting artwork makes them trendy even if they are on the more traditional side.
Arguably the most contemporary of all metals is stainless steel. A contemporary steel design will quickly increase the value of your garden as well as the feeling of serenity. Like all water fountains, you can get them in just about any size you want.
For people who want the appearance of a metal fountain but want a lighter weight and more affordable option, fiberglass is the answer. Caring for a fiberglass water fountain is fairly easy, another benefit that consumers seek.