Ancient Greece: The Roots of Outdoor Statue Design
Ancient Greece: The Roots of Outdoor Statue Design A good number of sculptors were paid by the temples to accentuate the intricate columns and archways with renderings of the gods up until the time period came to a close and countless Greeks began to think of their religion as superstitious rather than sacred, when it became more common for sculptors to portray ordinary men and women as well. Portraiture, which would be acknowledged by the Romans upon their annexation of Greek civilization became conventional as well, and wealthy family members would sometimes commission a rendering of their forebears to be added in enormous familial tombs. Over the years of The Greek Classical period, a time of aesthetic progress, the use of sculpture and many other art forms greatly improved, so it is incorrect to say that the arts served just one purpose. Greek sculpture is perhaps enticing to us all today as it was an avant-garde experiment in the historic world, so it doesn't matter whether or not its original purpose was religious zeal or artistic pleasure.The Many Good Reasons to Add a Fountain
The Many Good Reasons to Add a Fountain A great way to enhance the look of your outdoor living area is to add a wall water feature or an exterior garden fountain to your landscaping or garden design. Historical fountains and water features have stirred the notice of modern-day designers as well as fountain designers. As such, the impact of adding one of these to your home decor bridges it to past times. Among the many attributes of these beautiful garden water features is the water and moisture they discharge into the air which attracts birds and other wild life as well as helps to balance the ecosystem. Birds enticed by a fountain or bird bath often scare away irksome flying invaders, for instance. Wall fountains are a good option if your yard is small because they do not need much space in comparison to a spouting or cascading fountain. You can choose to install a stand-alone fountain with a flat back and an connected basin propped against a fence or wall in your backyard, or a wall-mounted type which is self-contained and hung from a wall. A fountain can be added to an existing wall if you include some type of fountain mask as well as a basin to collect the water at the bottom. Since the plumbing and masonry work is substantial to complete this type of job, you should hire a specialist to do it rather than attempt to do it alone.
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 launch water high into the air for an extraordinary effect.Pure practicality was the original role of fountains. Inhabitants of urban areas, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash up, which meant that fountains had to be connected to nearby aqueduct or spring. Used until the nineteenth century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their origin of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from the power of gravity.
Artists thought of fountains as amazing additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to supply clean water and honor the artist responsible for building it. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often times used by Romans to beautify their fountains. To illustrate 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. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains made to mark the place of entry of Roman aqueducts.
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. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity allowed fountains to deliver recycled water into living spaces as well as create special water effects.
Decorating city parks, honoring people or events and entertaining, are some of the uses of modern-day fountains.