1642/43 Gian Lorenzo Bernini
(1598/1680) for Urban VIII Barberini (1623/44)
Originally
the pressure of the water was stronger and it used to generate a much higher jet than now
Until the
end of 1700s, in front of this fountain a macabre spectacle used to take place:
the dead bodies of unknown people found in Rome were exposed and a crier would
call on the population to recognize them
“He
completely abandoned the previous formal treatment. Very far from the elegance
of decorative Florentine fountain, this massive structure puts the viewer in
front of a full scale sculpture as a natural product. The god of the sea, conch
and fish are welded into an organic whole and no one can help but be captivated
by the atmosphere of such a fabulous setting” (Rudolf Wittkower)
“The Merman
was a symbol of immortality gained through literary studies. This esoteric
symbolism is probably connected with the papal coat of arms in the huge tails
of the dolphins. Everyone knew that Urban VIII was a good Latin poet, and so
the Merman seems to proclaim his poetical immortality. The image is perhaps
even more complex because the dolphins were symbols of princely benevolence and
the bees of divine providence” (Howard Hibbard)
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