Used Sculpture Architecturally at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

The Romans used sculpture architecturally much the same as the Greeks. The Romans did, however, employ relief, both of figures and of ornament, for what might be called a textural, decorative effect on walls, vaults, and other architectural surfaces. When such a textural effect develops, sculpture tends to become ancillary or secondary to the architecture instead of maintaining its status as an equal and relatively independent art.

The reflection in art of these changes was profound. In Romanesque times the greatest buildings were monastic, built for monks with funds from the nobility; the glory of the Gothic period lay in its great cathedrals, built in towns and paid for largely by burghers. Sculpture became more natural to keep pace with the increased importance of the individual man, and to portray the new intimacy and tenderness of religion. This is shown in many ways. Sculpture used architecturally became more independent of the restrictions of its architectural placement, and began to create space in which figures could move.

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.