the whole fountain |
The Fountain is the largest terracotta fountain in the world, like anywhere else in the whole world. It is 46 feet tall and 70 feet wide across it's basin. You can find it in Glasgow Green behind the Peoples' Palace. It was renovated and moved in 2005 after falling into disrepair, at a cost of (cough) £4 million.
It was designed by Arthur Edward Pearce and sculpted by Pearce and students at the Lambeth School of Art. It was given to Glasgow by Sir Henry Doulton and first unveiled at the Empire Exhibition in Kelvingrove Park in 1888. It was designed to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887.
It has five tiers to it. Going from the top to the bottom -
Queen Victoria (this is not the original which was apparently struck by lightning in 1894. This is a free replacement from Sir Henry).
Four kneeling maidens emptying pitchers of water
The bottom tier has four individual sections each representing the four corners of the British Empire
India |
Canada |
Australia |
South Africa |
At the bottom of the terracotta basin is the inscription, "Let Glasgow Flourish" with the Glasgow crest.
It's beautiful of that there is no doubt and as fountains go, it is a stunner. I might prefer it if it was upside down though, just not sure how that would work.