Page 36 - aug20

art in the garden-fountains

Decorative ponds and fountains were a
major feature in gardens of the Middle
Eastern civilizations of Mesopotamia,
stimulated by the need for irrigation
canals. The earliest planned gardens

which included ponds were probably in
Egypt, documented as early as 2800 BCE.

Gardens with fountains have been mystical
places, sort of earthly equivalents of Paradise,
for many cultures, and have also been symbols
of power and wealth, of artistic and technological
mastery, and nowadays a common feature not
only in gardens but many varied urban settings.
In our increasingly built environment, flowing
water and fountains are important features to
bring a calming element to our lives.

The English word “fountain” derives from the
Latin word Fons, as during the Roman Empire,
the affluent assimilated Islamic design into their
gardens, especially the use of fountains. These
were further developed into incredible features
in gardens during the Renaissance such as the
Villa d’Este, and was followed by Baroque
gardens of the seventeenth century including
Versailles in France and Peterhof in St. Petersburg.
While in Asia, fountains were developed from
natural springs, like that of the holy spring
fountain commonly called the Nine-Dragon
Fountain in China. It comprises nine fountain
outlets, and is considerable all year round.

Top left: Kew, UK; Water gardens, Bali; Yeomji gardens,
S. Korea; Abu Dhabi, UAE; (Photos by S.C)
Top right: King Fahd’s Fountain, Saudi Arabia; Peterhof,
St. Petersburg, Russia; Villa d’Este, Italy; Versailles, France
(Photos by Pixabay) pg31