The Innumerable Possibilities in Wall Fountains
The Innumerable Possibilities in Wall Fountains Placing a wall fountain in your yard or patio is perfect when you want to relax. You can have one made to suit your specifications even if you have a small amount of space. A spout, a water basin, internal piping, and a pump are necessary for freestanding as well as mounted varieties. There are many different styles available on the market including traditional, contemporary, classical, or Asian. Stand-alone wall fountains, commonly known as floor fountains, are relatively big and feature a basin on the ground.
On the other hand, a fountain attached to a wall can be incorporated onto an existing wall or fit into a new wall. A cohesive look can be achieved with this style of water feature because it seems to become part of the scenery rather than an added element.
Statuary As a Staple of Classic Art in Ancient Greece
Statuary As a Staple of Classic Art in Ancient Greece Up right up until the Archaic Greeks introduced the first freestanding sculpture, a noteworthy success, carvings had chiefly been done in walls and pillars as reliefs. Younger, appealing male or female (kore) Greeks were the subject matter of most of the sculptures, or kouros figures. The kouroi were believed by the Greeks to embody beauty and were sculpted with one foot leading and an uncompromising stiffness to their forward-facing poses; the male statues were always strapping, sinewy, and nude. Around 650 BC, life-size models of the kouroi began to be observed. Throughout the Archaic period, a great time of change, the Greeks were developing new forms of government, expressions of art, and a deeper understanding of people and cultures outside Greece. But in spite of the disputes, the Greek civilization continued to progress, unabated.Back Story of Garden Fountains
Back Story of Garden Fountains Hundreds of classic Greek texts were translated into Latin under the authority of the scholarly Pope Nicholas V, who led the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455. In order to make Rome worthy of being the capital of the Christian world, the Pope decided to enhance the beauty of the city. In 1453 the Pope commissioned the reconstruction of the Aqua Vergine, an historic Roman aqueduct which had carried clean drinking water into the city from eight miles away. The ancient Roman custom of building an awe-inspiring commemorative fountain at the point where an aqueduct arrived, also known as a mostra, was resurrected by Nicholas V. The architect Leon Battista Alberti was commissioned by the Pope to build a wall fountain where we now see the Trevi Fountain. The water which eventually provided the Trevi Fountain as well as the renown baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona flowed from the modified aqueduct which he had renovated.The Origins Of Outdoor Fountains
The Origins Of Outdoor Fountains A water fountain is an architectural piece that pours water into a basin or jets it high into the air in order to supply drinkable water, as well as for decorative purposes.The central purpose of a fountain was originally strictly practical. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, via aqueducts or springs nearby.
Up to the late 19th century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and higher than the fountain so that gravity could make the water flow downwards or jet high into the air. Serving as an element of decoration and celebration, fountains also provided clean, fresh drinking water. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often used by Romans to beautify their fountains. Muslims and Moorish garden designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller versions of the gardens of paradise. Fountains played a considerable role in the Gardens of Versailles, all part of French King Louis XIV’s desire to exercise his power over nature. 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 main source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby limiting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. Gravity was substituted by mechanical pumps in order to enable fountains to bring in clean water and allow for beautiful water displays.
Modern fountains are used to adorn public spaces, honor individuals or events, and enhance recreational and entertainment events.