Garden Sculpture That at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

Be careful always to choose garden sculpture that is in keeping with the architecture of the house and general surroundings, and with the overall atmosphere you are trying to achieve in the garden. For example, a small statue of a pig or a cat, say, which is definitely rustic and informal in character, will look out of place against the formal outline of a grand, dignified house. Such a building calls for a more formal treatment and demands a grand, impressive statue that is more in keeping with its style. The most dramatic results can be obtained by positioning a sculpture at the end of a vista. Alternatively, it can be placed at the sharp bend of a path, or at the junction of two paths, so that the piece can be seen from both directions. Sited centrally at the back of an area, it can act as a focal point, but set asymmetrically to offset the curve of a flower bed, the object will create a more relaxed and informal effect. For greater formality, doorways and stairs can be flanked by sculpture. Sculpture can also be used as a counterpoint to a particularly bold plant, or it can be used to distract the eye from an unsightly feature such as a garbage can or a compost pile.

Sculpture of the Late Renaissance in Italy followed two paths : one which exaggerated Michelangelo's use of pronounced muscles, twisting poses and elongated figures; and the other which more clearly was inspired directly by the antique. The Michelangelesque manner was used mostly for large works: architectural sculpture, fountains, public monuments and tombs. The classicizing tendency was pronounced in garden sculpture and bronze statuettes. Important sculptors of the period venuto Cellini, famous as a goldsmith (1500-1571), Bartolommeo Ammanati (1511-1592), the Italianized Fleming, Giovanni da Bologna (Jean Boulogne, known as Giambologna, 1529P-1608), and the Venetian, Alessandro Vittoria (1524-1608).

These significant pti poses have generally been served by sculpture ( considerable size, and there is no doubt that largi ness promotes an effect of impressiveness i sculpture as it does in architecture. This i borne out by the observation that most sculptur which has been made merely to embellish or t delight is definitely under life-size or even of th statuette category. A notable exception to thi rule is found in fountain sculpture from the 16t! century on, where the architectural or arborea setting often requires commensurate scale in tb sculpture.