Style Napoleon III / Ref.0771

Alcove fountain

Fountain designed with an alcove, a deeply gadrooned basin and a frieze of cartouches on a molded base. Recessed into the alcove, the base of the sculpture, is adorned with a scrolled acanthus leaf clamp. The sculture features a boy with curly hair squatting on a shell flanked by a pair of Louis XIV style dolphins,. His left hands rests on a dophin, and with the other he holds a fold of a cape above his head, which falls delicately upon part of his arm and hips, creating movement in the pose. The composition of the scultpure is based on curves and counter curves with particular care given to the grain of the surfaces going from perfectly smooth (in the child’s skin), to streaked surfaces (the dolphins scales, the shell), focusing on elegance, liveliness and being natural. The alcove elegantly frames the scuplture, with molded friezes of pearls and flowers, oblong in the spandrels. It is crowned by a sheath rising from a scrolled clamp and adorned with laurel leaves, ribbons, and the laughing face of a faun that echos the child’s smile below. On either side fluted capitals rest on small modillions.
The central sculpture was made out of antique plaster, the alcove frame is recent and was molded from the alcove of the Count of Chavagnac. The basin and base were carved out of Cortone marble stone

The full height once the fountain is installed is 126 inches : the height of the fountain itself (112 inches) plus 10 inches above the ground, allowing for the correct bassin height. The depth required to set the fountain into the wall is 22 inches 1/2 ; and the water bassin protrudes by 21 inches.