"Primitive" Greek Artistry: Garden Statuary
"Primitive" Greek Artistry: Garden Statuary Archaic Greeks were renowned for providing the first freestanding statuary; up till then, most carvings were made out of walls and pillars as reliefs. For the most part the statues, or kouros figures, were of adolescent and desirable male or female (kore) Greeks. Symbolizing beauty to the Greeks, the kouroi were made to look rigid and typically had foot in front; the males were vigorous, powerful, and nude. Life-sized versions of the kouroi appeared beginning in 650 BC. The Archaic period was an extraordinary point of change for the Greeks as they grew into new forms of government, formed unique expressions of art, and gained information of the men and women and cultures outside of Greece. And yet these disagreements did not prohibit the expansion of the Greek civilization. {
Modern Garden Decor: Large Outdoor Water Fountains and their Roots
Modern Garden Decor: Large Outdoor Water Fountains and their Roots A water fountain is an architectural piece that pours water into a basin or jets it high into the air in order to supply drinking water, as well as for decorative purposes.From the beginning, outdoor fountains were simply there to serve as functional elements. Inhabitants of cities, townships and small towns utilized them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash up, which meant that fountains needed to be linked to nearby aqueduct or spring. Up to the late nineteenth century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and more elevated than the fountain so that gravity could make the water flow downwards or jet high into the air. Fountains were not only used as a water source for drinking water, but also to adorn homes and celebrate the artist who created it. Bronze or stone masks of wildlife and heroes were commonly seen on Roman 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 superiority over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were glorified with baroque style fountains built to mark the place of entry of Roman aqueducts.
The end of the nineteenth century saw the rise in usage of indoor plumbing to provide drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity allowed 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.
The Dissemination of Outdoor Fountain Design Technology
The Dissemination of Outdoor Fountain Design Technology Instrumental to the development of scientific technology were the printed letters and illustrated publications of the time. They were also the main means of transmitting practical hydraulic information and fountain design ideas all through Europe. A globally recognized leader in hydraulics in the late 1500's was a French fountain engineer, whose name has been lost to history. By designing landscapes and grottoes with incorporated and ingenious water attributes, he started off his career in Italy by receiving Royal mandates in Brussels, London and Germany. In France, towards the end of his lifetime, he published “The Principle of Moving Forces”, a book that became the essential text on hydraulic technology and engineering. The publication modified crucial hydraulic discoveries since classical antiquity as well as explaining modern hydraulic technologies. As a mechanical way to move water, Archimedes devised the water screw, chief among vital hydraulic breakthroughs.
Sunlight heated up the liquid in a pair of undetectable vessels adjacent to the beautiful water feature were shown in an illustration. The heated water expands and subsequently rises and closes the water pipes thereby triggering the water fountain. Yard ponds as well as pumps, water wheels, and water feature designs are incorporated in the book.