Fountain figure

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A drinking fountain in the public space, in front of a few trees. At the top of the drinking fountain is a deconstructed fountain figure that is a portrait sculpture.
A drinking fountain with a fountain sculpture in the form of a portrait sculpture on top, which is located in Munich's Bavariapark.
A bronze sculpture depicting a woman with a bowl. Below is a basin.
This bronze fountain sculpture allows water to flow from a bowl into a basin embedded in the floor. The fountain is a popular meeting point in the area.

A fountain figure is a sculpture or plastic that is attached to a figure fountain, a kind of ornamental fountain , for decoration. This is intended to beautify the fountain and enhance the cityscape. Many fountains with figures are now listed and enjoy great popularity among the population. There are also often legends about the fountain figures. The characters usually tell a story or the story of the city.

Fountain figures as traditional landmarks

Fountains are in central locations in most towns and cities and are still frequented and valued by the local population today. This can also be seen in the restoration of the figures from public funds, if necessary.

The often elaborately designed figures play a major role here. As a form of street art in public spaces, the fountain figures arouse the interest of tourists and are often used as landmarks for a particular place. Locals connect fountain figures with the traditions of their homeland.

On special festive days, the fountains and their figures are decorated with regional and seasonal objects in some areas.

Legends and stories about the fountain figures exist in numerous communities. These, attached to fountains in front of churches, tell the local history in a religious context. The 11 figure fountains with the mostly early modern figures in Bern's old town also provide material for legends and city stories.

Art-historical aspects and historical development

The tradition of fountain figures has existed since ancient times . Fountain figures were found during excavations in Pompeii . These were not found in large public squares, but in the mansions of the wealthy. They were used to pour water, so they depicted either deities with an open drinking tube or an animal with an open mouth. The Greek and Asian cultures also had a custom of setting up fountain figures.

In the Middle Ages, wells were used almost exclusively to supply the people with water, which is why the art of the wells did not play an essential role for a long time. Only with the emergence of new artistic ideas of the Renaissance and post-medieval urbanization were magnificent figure fountains built in, for example, Bern and Augsburg.

Fountain sculptures and sculptures are located in early modern fountains either on monumental fountains , which are set up in honor of a ruler, for example, or on artistically designed fountains to enhance the cityscape. They are mostly profane sculptures , i. H. they have no religious content. Instead, they often depict water-related topics. The predominantly bronze figures often represent the city and its class society .

From the 19th century and the early 20th century, fountains in the city were essentially only used as artistic enhancement or as memorial fountains, as they were no longer required for the water supply . Its use as a drinking fountain became increasingly important.

From around the middle of the 20th century until today, fountain figures and ornamental fountains are generally to be regarded as an art form in public space; their significance as monumental fountains ceased to exist. Just like ordinary sculptural works that are not tied to ornamental fountains , fountain figures can be assigned to different currents and epochs and pursue different purposes.

Materials and manufacture

Most of the fountain figures are cast from bronze , i.e. made in the sense of a (building) sculpture . There are also many sculptures , for example made from shell limestone . These are made by mining a piece of material. There are numerous clay fountain figures on the market for private purposes .

Destruction and damage

Like other works of art in public spaces , fountain figures are often victims of vandalism. Most of the time the figures are knocked over, sometimes stolen. Citizens of the affected communities and the communities themselves often declare themselves willing to donate after such incidents.

literature

  • Johannes Adolph Overbeck: Pompeji his buildings antiquities works of art for art antiquity friends. Ed .: Wilhelm Engelmann, 2nd edition. Volume 2. Verlag von Wilhelm Engelmann, Augsburg 1866, pp. 157–158.
  • Balázs Kapossy: Fountain figures from the Hellenistic and Roman times. Juris Verlag, 1969.
  • Friedrich Jaeger (Hrsg.): Encyclopedia of the modern age: observation drought. Volume 2. Verlag JB Metzler, Stuttgart / Weimar 2005, ISBN 978-3-476-01992-9 , pp. 467-472.
  • Claudia Pohl, Wolfgang Gantert: Art in Urban Space - Sculpture Guide for Karlsruhe: Tours of Art in Public Space in Karlsruhe. Ed .: Cultural Office of the City of Karlsruhe. Lindemann's library, p. 30.
  • Yearbook of the City of Vienna. Magistrate of the City of Vienna, 1960.
  • Julius Posener: Articles and lectures 1931–1980 . In: Ulrich Conrads (Ed.): Bauwelt Fundamente 54/55 Friedrich Vieweg and Son, Braunschweig / Wiesbaden 1981, ISBN 3-528-08754-4 , p. 169.
  • Claudia Dorl-Klingenschmid: Magnificent fountains in cities in Asia Minor: Function in context. In: Studies on the ancient city . Volume 7. Pfeil, 2001, ISBN 3-931516-91-1 .
  • Simone Simpson: Between cultural mandate and artistic autonomy: Dresden sculptures from the 1950s and 1960s. In: Dresden historical studies . Volume 7. Böhlau Verlag, Cologne / Weimar 2008, ISBN 3-412-20101-4 , pp. 200, 305, 306.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Fountain figure soon back in its old splendor. April 14, 2008, accessed December 31, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b Bern, the city of fountains - Bern Welcome. Accessed December 31, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Osterbrunnen - A Franconian tradition. Accessed December 30, 2019 (German).
  4. ↑ Church and fountain figure - House of Nature. Accessed December 31, 2019 .
  5. ↑ The famous figure fountain. Accessed December 31, 2019 (German).
  6. ↑ Johannes Adolph Overbeck: Pompeji his buildings old objects works of art for art friends of old times . Ed .: Wilhelm Engelmann. 2nd Edition. tape 2 . Published by Wilhelm Engelmann, Augsburg 1866, p. 157-158 .
  7. ^ Claudia Dorl-Klingenschmid: Magnificent fountains in cities in Asia Minor: Function in context . In: Studies on the ancient city . tape 7 . Pfeil, 2001, ISBN 3-931516-91-1 .
  8. ↑ a b City of Augsburg. Accessed January 1, 2020 (German).
  9. ↑ a b Friedrich Jaeger (Ed.): Encyclopedia of Modern Times: Observation - Drought . tape 2 . Verlag JB Metzler, Stuttgart / Weimar 2005, ISBN 978-3-476-01992-9 , p. 467-472 .
  10. ^ Art: Glossary. Accessed January 1, 2020 .
  11. ↑ Water supply 1870. August 31, 2017, accessed on January 1, 2020 (English).
  12. ^ Claudia Pohl, Wolfgang Gantert: Art in urban space - sculpture guide for Karlsruhe: tours of art in public space in Karlsruhe . Ed .: Cultural Office of the City of Karlsruhe. Lindemann's library, p. 30 .
  13. ^ Julius Posener: Articles and lectures 1931-1980 . In: Ulrich Conrads (Ed.): Bauwelt Fundamente 54/55 . Friedrich Vieweg and Son, Braunschweig / Wiesbaden 1981, ISBN 3-528-08754-4 , p. 169 .
  14. ^ Simone Simpson: Between cultural mandate and artistic autonomy: Dresden sculptures from the 1950s and 1960s . In: Dresden historical studies . tape 7 . Böhlau Verlag, Cologne / Weimar 2008, ISBN 3-412-20101-4 , pp. 200, 305, 306 .
  15. ^ Sculpture and sculpture - sculpture. Accessed December 31, 2019 .
  16. ↑ Südwest Presse online services: Figure: Well figure cannot be repaired. December 15, 2016, accessed December 30, 2019 .
  17. ^ Vandalism on a fountain figure on Rüdesheimer Platz. Accessed December 31, 2019 .
  18. ↑ Winfried Schenk: Police identify stolen fountain figure in reader photo. July 10, 2017, accessed December 30, 2019 (German).
  19. ↑ Citizens should donate for destroyed water carrier. November 30, 2015, accessed December 30, 2019 .