The Doulton Fountain was gifted to the city by Sir Henry Doulton, and first unveiled at the Empire Exhibition held at Kelvingrove Park in 1888. The fountain was then moved to Glasgow Green in 1890.
A sculptural extravaganza, the fountain was designed to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee of 1887, and celebrate Britain’s Imperial achievements - the fountain is crowded with figurative groups representing Australia, Canada, India and South Africa.
The largest terracotta fountain in the world and the best surviving example of its kind, it has five tiers, is 46 feet high and 70 feet across the base – the third of the width of a football pitch.
What a find. Thought the Canada scene was where 'The Godfather' got his inspiration. Then noticed the 'orse had antlers!
ReplyDeleteThat is truly impressive. I guess only Queen Victoria could carry off a statue of those dimensions!
ReplyDeleteGiven that Scotland can get rather cold... how is it that it doesn't crack?
ReplyDeleteIt's incredibly intricate!
ReplyDeleteNever saw anything like it...!
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful and, yes, magnificent work of art. Terracotta is fired low and is therefore relatively soft. I've never worked in terracotta but, as I understand it, if it were fired higher it would cease to be terracotta. As terracotta is generally not impervious to water it would, I think, have to be glazed if it were to become completely impervious. This did not appear to be glazed. So the answer, Helen, is that I don't know how it is impervious to frost. If I were not about to zoom off to the Southern hemisphere I might have done some work on that. I may still - but in 6 months time!
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