Fuente De Neptuno
by JAMART Photography
Title
Fuente De Neptuno
Artist
JAMART Photography
Medium
Photograph - Art Photography
Description
FAA1141
Neptune Fountain
Madrid Spain
2008
The Fountain of Neptune is a neoclassical fountain located in Madrid, Spain. It lies on the centre of the Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo, a roundabout in the Paseo del Prado. The sculptural group in its centre represents Neptune, a Roman water deity.
The magnificent Fuente de Neptuno (Fountain of Neptune) in the Plaza de Canovas del Castillo depicts the sea-god Neptune in a conch-shell chariot pulled by sea-horses and surrounded by dolphins and seals. A legacy of the Bourbon dynasty of monarchs, it was part of the Salón del Prado project, commissioned by Charles III to provide a spacious avenue with gardens in the Paseo del Prado as a dignified meeting place for Madrid's wealthier classes.
The intention was to border the area with two fountains, Neptune and Cibeles, but ultimately a third, Apollo, was added in the centre. The project was started by José de Hermosilla under the supervision of the Count of Aranda, but on Hermosilla's death in 1775, it was taken forward by Ventura Rodriguez.
Neptune Fountain
Plaza Conovas del Castillo, s/n
Metro: Banco de Espana
This statue is based on drawings by Ventura Rodriguez from the year 1782 and is the handiwork of Juan Pascual de Mena, who sculpted it out of white marble. King Carlos III commissioned the statue as part of his quest to beautify the city.
Neptune, the god of the seas, is presented on a shell-shaped chariot pulled by sea-horses. In his right hand he holds a coiled snake and in the left a trident. The statue was originally situated in the Prado del Apolo and faced the Cibeles Fountain, but was moved to the center of the Plaza de Cnovas del Castillo in 1898, where it stands today. Luxury and beauty surround the fountain, with two of Madrids most exclusive hotels, the Ritz and the Palace, as well as two major art museums, the Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza, at each one of the plazas corners.
Fuente de Neptuno is one of the three great sculptures designed by Ventura Rodrguez, along with Fuente de Cibeles and the Fuente de Apolo on the Paseo del Prado.
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January 5th, 2012
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