Alice Austen took this image of Bethesda Fountain in 1895. The famous Angel of the Waters statue atop the fountain is the only piece commissioned for the Park. Created by Emma Stebbins, it also marked the first time a woman received a public art commission in New York City. The statue references the Gospel of John, which describes an angel blessing the Pool of Bethesda and giving it healing powers. The fountain commemorates the Croton water system, which first brought fresh water to New York City in 1842. The angel carries a lily in her left hand — a symbol of the waters purity, very important to a city that had previously suffered from a devastating cholera epidemic before the system was established. This is one of our favorite images in the collection.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 16:31:49 +0000
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