Edward
June 3rd, 2003, 12:49 AM
Text from centralparknyc.org
Pulitzer Fountain
Sculpture
Location
Grand Army Plaza at 59th Street and Fifth Avenue
Pulitzer Fountain
Sculptor: Karl Bitter (1867-1915)
Date: 1916; Placed in Park: 1916
Donor: Joseph Pulitzer
Material: Bronze statue, granite fountain
When newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer died in 1911, he bequeathed $50,000 "for the erection of a fountain like those in the Place de la Concorde, Paris, France." Pulitzer probably got the idea to locate the fountain in Grand Army Plaza from Karl Bitter, the Austrian sculptor, who proposed a symmetrical plaza for this area. After a closed design competition it was not surprising that Bitter and the architect Thomas Hastings were commissioned to create the fountain. To make the plaza symmetrical, the Sherman monument was moved 16 feet west to its present location.
Bitter's bronze sculpture represents Pomona, the Roman goddess of abundance. Rams' heads with horns of plenty flank the fountain, again emphasizing the theme of wealth and material comfort. During the winter holiday season, lighted trees decorate the basin of the fountain, adding a festive touch to the Park's entrance.
http://www.wirednewyork.com/parks/central_park/pulitzer_fountain/pulitzer_fountain_plaza_hotel_26may03.jpg
http://www.wirednewyork.com/parks/central_park/pulitzer_fountain/pulitzer_fountain_solow_26may03.jpg
Pulitzer Fountain
Sculpture
Location
Grand Army Plaza at 59th Street and Fifth Avenue
Pulitzer Fountain
Sculptor: Karl Bitter (1867-1915)
Date: 1916; Placed in Park: 1916
Donor: Joseph Pulitzer
Material: Bronze statue, granite fountain
When newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer died in 1911, he bequeathed $50,000 "for the erection of a fountain like those in the Place de la Concorde, Paris, France." Pulitzer probably got the idea to locate the fountain in Grand Army Plaza from Karl Bitter, the Austrian sculptor, who proposed a symmetrical plaza for this area. After a closed design competition it was not surprising that Bitter and the architect Thomas Hastings were commissioned to create the fountain. To make the plaza symmetrical, the Sherman monument was moved 16 feet west to its present location.
Bitter's bronze sculpture represents Pomona, the Roman goddess of abundance. Rams' heads with horns of plenty flank the fountain, again emphasizing the theme of wealth and material comfort. During the winter holiday season, lighted trees decorate the basin of the fountain, adding a festive touch to the Park's entrance.
http://www.wirednewyork.com/parks/central_park/pulitzer_fountain/pulitzer_fountain_plaza_hotel_26may03.jpg
http://www.wirednewyork.com/parks/central_park/pulitzer_fountain/pulitzer_fountain_solow_26may03.jpg