Fountain of the Great Lakes: Difference between revisions

Fountain of the Great Lakes
Fountain of the Great Lakes
	View facing east in Art Institute of Chicago South McCormick Court
Artist	Lorado Taft
Year	1907–1913
Type	Bronze
Dimensions	670 cm (264 in)
Location	Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

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Fountain of the Great Lakes, or Spirit of the Great Lakes Fountain, is an allegorical sculpture and fountain by Lorado Taft. The bronze artwork, created between 1907 and 1913, depicts five women arranged so that the fountains waterfall recalls the waterflow through the five Great Lakes of North America.^[1]^[2] In the Great Lakes, the waterflow begins in Lake Superior at 600 feet (180 m) above sea level and continues eastward through each lake until it reaches Lake Ontario.^[3] The Fountain is one of Taft's best known works.^[1] It is located in the public South McCormick Memorial Court of the Art Institute of Chicago, in the Chicago Loop.

The fountain was originally installed on an elevated platform facing south where it remained until 1963, when it was moved next to the Morton Wing addition facing west. In its original location it served as a visible landmark from the Jackson and Michigan Avenue intersection once known as "route center" to the south.^[4] The fountain was commissioned by the Benjamin Ferguson fund and one surface references the title B. F. Ferguson Fountain of the Great Lakes. There is a relief sculpture of Benjamin Ferguson on the rear panel that has been hidden from view since the fountain was moved.^[5]

As the first commission from the Ferguson Fund,^[6] it experienced various funding delays.^[7] Additionally, the legal environment for land use in Grant Park was in flux at the time the commission was made,^[8] which caused delays in location selection.^[9] Once erected, the fountain received largely positive reviews, but a few critics questioned symbolism of the sculpture.^[10] Others were caught up in sociopolitical subtexts of the day, with regard to obscenity laws as it related to public art and this semi-nude work.^[11]

Background

The surrounding garden was designed by Dan Kiley.^[12]

B. F. Ferguson, Commissioner, name is included on this surface. Bars can be seen limiting access to rear view.

The rear of the sculpture.

Benjamin Ferguson's 1905 $1 million charitable trust gift to "memorialize events in American History" funded The Fountain,^[13] and many other public works in Chicago.^[14]^[15] As the city attempted to determine a policy for the fund's use, Taft argued for fountains, allegorical statuary, discreetly placed portrait busts, and the adornment of bridges and park entrances in order to create long-lasting beauty in addition to supporting the style of art he pursued.^[16] By September 1905 his name was linked in the press to the fund as a possible deserving recipient of its first commission.^[16] During the 1905–1906 year he began to place greater emphasis on sculpture in the classes he taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, while simultaneously refining earlier allegorical.^[16]

The fountain is Taft's response to Daniel Burnham's complaint at the Columbian Exposition in 1893 that the sculptors charged with ornamenting the fairgrounds failed to produce anything that represented the great natural resources of the west, especially the Great Lakes.^[1] In Spring 1902, Taft had assigned his students a work entitled Spirit of the Great Lakes. Five women had molded individual figures in response to an assignment and joined them in a tiered group with an imagined waterflow from the containers that they held. By mid-January 1906, Taft cast a plaster version, which he exhibited to Ferguson Fund Trestee Charles L. Hitchinson on January 17 at Taft's Midway Studios. By the end of January, The Art Institute of Chicago displayed the work during its annual local works exhibition. It gained support during its four-week display and won the Chicago Municipal Art League top sculpture award, and along with two other bust works he won the Society of Chicago Artists' Medal for general excellence.^[16] The Municipal art League exhibition chairperson, Mrs. William F. Grower, decided to form a subcommittee to help satisfy public support for the work to be the first Ferguson fund commission.^[7] However, even after the probate court released the bequest to the trustees on May 23, 1906, no commission was made because the trustees were undecided between a statuary and a portrait commission.^[7]

Additionally, Grant Park has been protected since 1836 by "forever open, clear and free" legislation that has been affirmed by several Illinois Supreme Court rulings.^[17]^[18]^[19] Aaron Montgomery Ward twice sued the city of Chicago to force it to remove buildings and structures from Grant Park and to keep it from building new ones.^[20] The second suit was still pending in 1906 and the legal cloud regarding deliberations of architectural limitations in Grant Park caused inaction.^[8] While the trustees remained silent, Taft sought wider public support by publishing a picture of Spirit of the Great Lakes in Century Magazine, which drew interest from Buffalo, New York as a host of the final work. By February 1907, Buffalo Illustrated Times published a cover with an image of the work and a caption describing the anticipation of the Beautifying Buffalo Society for obtaining the work for the city.^[9] However, by the end of 1907 Taft and his connections with the Trust Fund resolved his commission.^[9]

Fountain of the Great Lakes faced south from the Art Institute of Chicago's south side from 1913–1963.

On October 31, 1907, the Ferguson Trust Board voted Taft a commission, and on December 16, he signed a $38,000 contract to commence work.^[9] The commission was the first commission from the Ferguson fund.^[6] Despite the financial agreement it would be some time before a determination of a site for the work. Ward's suit continued to loom over the deliberations. One proposal was to locate it in Grant Park south of the Art Institute and another was to locate it at the 35th Street and Grand Boulevard (Now Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive) intersection that now hosts the Chicago Landmark and National Register of Historic Places-listed Victory Monument.^[9]^[21] The 1909 Art Institute annual report mentioned a proposal for a sunken garden with a focal fountain south of the institute.^[9] Legal issues regarding land use intensified in 1910, and the Art Institute began to make modest plans for the fountain almost attached to the south wall of its own building.^[22] For the next few years there was little mention of the fountain as Taft focused on other work.^[22] Then in May 1913, the fountain model at Taft's Midway Studios was disassembled and taken to Jules Berchem's foundry for bronze casting.^[22] Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge designed the base for the sculpture.^[23] It was subsequently assembled by mid-August in preparation for a September 9, 1913 dedication date.^[22]

In 1963 with the construction of the new Morton wing of the Art Institute of Chicago Building, the fountain was moved from its south facing position adjacent to the original building that was visible from the Historic Michigan Boulevard District to the west wall of the new wing in a position facing westward. The sculpture was positioned so that the plaque on the back, which reads that the "fund must be used for erecting and maintaining enduring statuary and monuments",^[24] is no longer legible.

Although Taft is now better remembered for his books such as The History of American Sculpture, which is regarded as the first comprehensive work on the subject in the title, he was in his day well known for portraits and allegorical public sculpture, especially public fountains.^[25] The fountain was produced in the period following his assignment to design sculptures for William Le Baron Jenney's Horticultural Building when he designed several large-scale public works, including Fountain of Time.^[26]

At the time of the dedication, Taft described the Ferguson Fund commission to sculpt the fountain as a turning point in his career that led to increased publicity, more commissions, and growing recognition in the community, which combined to give him the encouragement for further commitment to the arts.^[23] He hoped that the Fountain of the Great Lakes would mark a new era of civic beautification and that it would also mark the beginning of the Chicago school of sculpture.^[27] The dream that Chicago would be the epicenter of the sculpting universe had been bred during the World's Columbian Exposition twenty years earlier and rekindled with the Ferguson bequest.^[27] Fountain of the Great Lakes was a major career accomplishment for Taft, which propelled him beyond the level of a portraitist.^[28]

Critical response

The general opinion of Fountain of the Great Lakes was positive with some describing it as a cultural achievement for Taft and Chicago. The detractors conceded that as a figural composition, it was ideal in an Old World way. Critics voiced concern over the sculpture's confusion and decorum.^[29] One of the basic problems for the critics was the propriety of the symbolism of artistic and attractive bronze figures posed as bodies of water. There had for some time been discussion of the depictions representing relative elevations and the flows of the waters as they seem to do. There were grumblings for closer association of the figures to the lakes by use of physical features, directional orientation and definite contours.^[29] Harriet Monroe, a general supporter of Taft's artistic efforts, was disappointed in the lack of representative geographic configuration and the lack of spirit of the lakes as inland seas.^[10] With respect to this specific piece she had gone from being an ardent supporter who felt the model was "stupendous" to finding herself in "doubt" about the work.^[30] Taft's human form depictions of the lake failed to capture the imagery of contemporary literature as it related to the power and fury of nature and the heroism of those struggling against those forces in works such as those of Hamlin Garland, Charles Eugene Banks, Willa Cather, or Robert Morss Lovett.^[10] Taft's representations of Lakes with quiet trickling water was in keeping with his general theme of quiet dignity for public sculpture.^[10] On the day of the dedication the Chicago Daily News expressed this point with a photomontage juxtaposition of Taft's fountain and Lake Michigan in all its fury.^[10]

After one got past the symbolism of the ladies as lakes, complaints existed about the lack of recognition of the contemporary form of female representation in art and literature which had gone from the Lillian Russell-type to the Gibson Girl to the Lillie Langtry image while Taft had apparently chosen "packing house ladies" as his female form.^[31] When Taft presented live depictions of his sculptures with quintets of women, he faced complaints that three of his five sculptural compositions had nude upper torsos, while his live representations were fully clothed.^[31] The degree to which nudity in public art was more for the "sake of nudity than for the sake of art." was a contemporary issue involving confiscated Paul Chabas fully nude painting, the Roman Catholic Church, critics, art dealers and collectors. All this led to a 1913 amendment to the Chicago municipal obscenity laws proposed by Mayor of Chicago Carter Harrison, Jr. to the Chicago City Council, which passed three months before the dedication of Taft's partially nude fountain.^[11] Chicago Tribune writers stood behind Taft's fountain using humor against what they described as a "streak of over-accentuated puritanism" that could adversely affect public art.^[11]

Taft had Beaux-Arts training that lent itself well to allegorical sculpture. For Fountain of the Great Lakes, Taft claimed an inspiration from the Greek mythology. Danaus ordered his 49 daughters to kill their husbands and condemned them to delivering water to a bottomless vessel in Hades. This was in keeping with Taft's penchant for classical inspiration although this was a loose association where the number of daughters was reduced from 49 to 5 and the artist's task did not seem to be nearly as cruel as the mythological one.^[32]

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c "Fountain of the Great Lakes". Great Lakes Commission. Archived from the original on July 13, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
^ Sinkevitch, Alice, "AIA Guide to Chicago" (2nd edition), p. 41, 2004, Harcourt Books, ISBN 0-15-602908-1.
^ Foust, Jerry L. (2005). "Great Lakes System". Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
^ "Route Center: Jackson and Michigan Boulevards Circa 1907-1923". David G. Clark. 2004. Archived from the original on September 3, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
^ "Fountain of the Great Lakes, Art Institute (1913)". Brainsnack Tours. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved June 15, 2007.
^ ^a ^b Garvey, p. 142.
^ ^a ^b ^c Garvey, pp. 12–14.
^ ^a ^b Garvey, pp. 14–15.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Garvey, p. 15–17
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Garvey, pp. 150-55.
^ ^a ^b ^c Garvey, p. 158.
^ "Pictorial Chicago". Michael & Kate Corcoran. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
^ Sokol, David M. (2005). "Art, Public". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
^ Gilfoyle, Timothy J. (2006). Millennium Park: Creating a Chicago Landmark. University of Chicago Press. p. 346. ISBN 9780226293493.
^ Greene-Mercier, Marie Zoe (Winter 1982). "The Role of Materials in My Geometric and Abstract Sculpture: A Memoir". Leonardo. 15 (1): 1–6. doi:10.2307/1574334. JSTOR 1574334. S2CID 191380859.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Garvey, pp. 11–12.
^ Spielman, Fran (June 12, 2008). "Mayor gets what he wants - Council OKs move 33-16 despite opposition". Chicago Sun-Times. Newsbank. Retrieved July 29, 2008.
^ "The taking of Grant Park". Chicago Tribune. Newsbank. June 8, 2008. Retrieved July 29, 2008.
^ Spielman, Fran and Art Golab (May 16, 2008). "13-2 vote for museum - Decision on Grant Park sets up Council battle". Chicago Sun-Times. Newsbank. Retrieved July 29, 2008.
^ Grinnell, Max (2005). "Grant Park". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
^ "Victory Monument". City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division. 2003. Archived from the original on April 10, 2007. Retrieved March 18, 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Garvey, pp. 18-20.
^ ^a ^b Garvey, p. 37.
^ "Art Institute Hit for Shift of Statue". Chicago Tribune. March 17, 1963. ProQuest 182618936.
^ Chilvers, Ian and Harold Osborne, ed. (1997). The Oxford Dictionary of Art (New ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 549. ISBN 0-19-860084-4.
^ Garvey, Timothy J. (2005). "Lorado Taft and Chicago Sculpture". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
^ ^a ^b Garvey, p. 140.
^ Garvey, p. 141.
^ ^a ^b Garvey, pp. 149-150.
^ Garvey, pp. 162-63.
^ ^a ^b Garvey, p. 156.
^ Garvey, pp. 174-75.

References

Garvey, Timothy J. (1988). Public Sculptor: Lorado Taft and the Beautification of Chicago. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-01501-0.
Taft, Ada Bartlett (1946). Lorado Taft: Sculptor and Citizen. Mary Taft Smith.

External links

Encyclopedia of Chicago 1929 image (before more recent building additions)

41°52′43.6″N 87°37′24.1″W / 41.878778°N 87.623361°W / 41.878778; -87.623361

[GLC-1] "Fountain of the Great Lakes". Great Lakes Commission. Archived from the original on July 13, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2007.

[2] Sinkevitch, Alice, "AIA Guide to Chicago" (2nd edition), p. 41, 2004, Harcourt Books, ISBN 0-15-602908-1.

[3] Foust, Jerry L. (2005). "Great Lakes System". Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved June 7, 2007.

[4] "Route Center: Jackson and Michigan Boulevards Circa 1907-1923". David G. Clark. 2004. Archived from the original on September 3, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2007.

[5] "Fountain of the Great Lakes, Art Institute (1913)". Brainsnack Tours. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved June 15, 2007.

[G142-6] Garvey, p. 142.

[G12-14-7] Garvey, pp. 12–14.

[G14-15-8] Garvey, pp. 14–15.

[G15-16-9] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Garvey, p. 15–17

[G150-55-10] Garvey, pp. 150-55.

[G158-11] Garvey, p. 158.

[12] "Pictorial Chicago". Michael & Kate Corcoran. Retrieved June 7, 2007.

[AP-13] Sokol, David M. (2005). "Art, Public". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved January 23, 2009.

[14] Gilfoyle, Timothy J. (2006). Millennium Park: Creating a Chicago Landmark. University of Chicago Press. p. 346. ISBN 9780226293493.

[TRoMiMGaAS-15] Greene-Mercier, Marie Zoe (Winter 1982). "The Role of Materials in My Geometric and Abstract Sculpture: A Memoir". Leonardo. 15 (1): 1–6. doi:10.2307/1574334. JSTOR 1574334. S2CID 191380859.

[G11-12-16] Garvey, pp. 11–12.

[17] Spielman, Fran (June 12, 2008). "Mayor gets what he wants - Council OKs move 33-16 despite opposition". Chicago Sun-Times. Newsbank. Retrieved July 29, 2008.

[18] "The taking of Grant Park". Chicago Tribune. Newsbank. June 8, 2008. Retrieved July 29, 2008.

[19] Spielman, Fran and Art Golab (May 16, 2008). "13-2 vote for museum - Decision on Grant Park sets up Council battle". Chicago Sun-Times. Newsbank. Retrieved July 29, 2008.

[20] Grinnell, Max (2005). "Grant Park". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved July 28, 2008.

[CL-21] "Victory Monument". City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division. 2003. Archived from the original on April 10, 2007. Retrieved March 18, 2009.

[G18-20-22] Garvey, pp. 18-20.

[G37-23] Garvey, p. 37.

[24] "Art Institute Hit for Shift of Statue". Chicago Tribune. March 17, 1963. ProQuest 182618936.

[25] Chilvers, Ian and Harold Osborne, ed. (1997). The Oxford Dictionary of Art (New ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 549. ISBN 0-19-860084-4.

[26] Garvey, Timothy J. (2005). "Lorado Taft and Chicago Sculpture". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved January 23, 2009.

[G140-27] Garvey, p. 140.

[G141-28] Garvey, p. 141.

[G149-150-29] Garvey, pp. 149-150.

[G162-63-30] Garvey, pp. 162-63.

[G156-31] Garvey, p. 156.

[G174-75-32] Garvey, pp. 174-75.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Bronze sculpture by Lorado Taft}}
 {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2016}}
 {{Infobox artwork
@@ Line 6: / Line 7: @@
 | title  = Fountain of the Great Lakes
 | artist = [[Lorado Taft]]
+|mapframe=yes
 | year   = 1907–1913
 | type   = [[Bronze]]
@@ Line 12: / Line 14: @@
 | museum = [[Art Institute of Chicago]]
 }}
-'''''Fountain of the Great Lakes''''', or '''''Spirit of the Great Lakes Fountain''''', is an [[allegory|allegorical]] [[sculpture]] by [[Lorado Taft]] in the [[Art Institute of Chicago]] South Stanley McCormick Memorial Court south of the [[Art Institute of Chicago Building]] in the [[Chicago Loop|Loop]] [[Community areas of Chicago|community area]] of [[Chicago, IL|Chicago]].  It is a [[bronze]] [[work of art]] created between 1907 and 1913.  The fountain depicts five women arranged so that the water flows through them in the same way water passes through the Great Lakes.<ref name=GLC/><ref>Sinkevitch, Alice, "AIA Guide to Chicago" (2nd edition), p. 41, 2004, Harcourt Books, {{ISBN|0-15-602908-1}}.</ref>  Note that the Great Lakes waterflow starts in [[Lake Superior]] at {{convert|600|ft|m}} above [[sea level]] and continues eastward through each lake until it reaches [[Lake Ontario]] and then passes into the [[St. Lawrence River]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/544.html|accessdate=June 7, 2007|title=Great Lakes System|author=Foust, Jerry L. |work=Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago|year=2005|publisher= Chicago Historical Society}}</ref> The Fountain is one of Taft's best known works.<ref name=GLC/>
+'''''Fountain of the Great Lakes''''', or '''''Spirit of the Great Lakes Fountain''''', is an [[allegory|allegorical]] [[sculpture]] and fountain by [[Lorado Taft]].  The [[bronze]] artwork, created between 1907 and 1913, depicts five women arranged so that the fountains waterfall recalls the waterflow through the five [[Great Lakes]] of North America.<ref name=GLC/><ref>Sinkevitch, Alice, "AIA Guide to Chicago" (2nd edition), p. 41, 2004, Harcourt Books, {{ISBN|0-15-602908-1}}.</ref>  In the Great Lakes, the waterflow begins in [[Lake Superior]] at {{convert|600|ft|m}} above [[sea level]] and continues eastward through each lake until it reaches [[Lake Ontario]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/544.html|access-date=June 7, 2007|title=Great Lakes System|author=Foust, Jerry L. |encyclopedia=Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago|year=2005|publisher= Chicago Historical Society}}</ref> The Fountain is one of Taft's best known works.<ref name=GLC/>  It is located in the public South McCormick Memorial Court of the [[Art Institute of Chicago]], in the [[Chicago Loop]].
-The fountain was originally installed facing south where it remained until 1963 when it was moved next to the Morton Wing addition facing west where it sits today.  In its original location it was visible from the Jackson and [[Michigan Avenue (Chicago)|Michigan Avenue]] intersection once known as "route center" to the south.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://windycityroadwarrior.com/Stories/mich-jcksn-1914.htm|accessdate=June 7, 2007|title=Route Center: Jackson and Michigan Boulevards Circa 1907-1923|publisher=David G. Clark|year=2004}}</ref>  The fountain was commissioned by the [[Benjamin F. Ferguson|Benjamin Ferguson]] fund and one surface references the title ''B. F. Ferguson Fountain of the Great Lakes''.  There is a [[relief|relief sculpture]] of Benjamin Ferguson on the rear panel that has been hidden from view since the fountain was moved.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://brainsnack.net/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=88|publisher=Brainsnack Tours|accessdate=June 15, 2007|title=Fountain of the Great Lakes, Art Institute (1913)}}</ref>
+The fountain was originally installed on an elevated platform facing south where it remained until 1963, when it was moved next to the Morton Wing addition facing west.  In its original location it served as a visible landmark from the Jackson and [[Michigan Avenue (Chicago)|Michigan Avenue]] intersection once known as "route center" to the south.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://windycityroadwarrior.com/Stories/mich-jcksn-1914.htm|access-date=June 7, 2007|title=Route Center: Jackson and Michigan Boulevards Circa 1907-1923|publisher=David G. Clark|year=2004|archive-date=September 3, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070903185115/http://www.windycityroadwarrior.com/Stories/mich-jcksn-1914.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>  The fountain was commissioned by the [[Benjamin F. Ferguson|Benjamin Ferguson]] fund and one surface references the title ''B. F. Ferguson Fountain of the Great Lakes''.  There is a [[relief|relief sculpture]] of Benjamin Ferguson on the rear panel that has been hidden from view since the fountain was moved.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://brainsnack.net/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=88|publisher=Brainsnack Tours|access-date=June 15, 2007|title=Fountain of the Great Lakes, Art Institute (1913)|archive-date=September 30, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930082006/http://brainsnack.net/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=88|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 As the first commission from the Ferguson Fund,<ref name=G142/> it experienced various funding delays.<ref name="G12-14"/>   Additionally, the legal environment for land use in [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]] was in flux at the time the commission was made,<ref name="G14-15"/> which caused delays in location selection.<ref name="G15-16"/>  Once erected, the fountain received largely positive reviews, but a few critics questioned symbolism of the sculpture.<ref name="G150-55"/>  Others were caught up in sociopolitical subtexts of the day, with regard to obscenity laws as it related to public art and this semi-nude work.<ref name=G158/>
@@ Line 32: / Line 34: @@
  | image1    = 20070605 South McCormick Court Fountains.JPG
  | width1    = 160
- | caption1  = The surrounding garden was designed by [[Dan Kiley]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://brainsnack.net/cpg/displayimage.php?album=88&pos=5|accessdate=June 7, 2007|title=Pictorial Chicago|publisher=Michael & Kate Corcoran}}</ref>
+ | caption1  = The surrounding garden was designed by [[Dan Kiley]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://brainsnack.net/cpg/displayimage.php?album=88&pos=5|access-date=June 7, 2007|title=Pictorial Chicago|publisher=Michael & Kate Corcoran}}</ref>
  | image2    = 20070605 BFFerguson Fountain of the Great Lakes.JPG
  | width2    = 160
@@ Line 40: / Line 42: @@
  | caption3  = The rear of the sculpture.
 }}
-[[Benjamin F. Ferguson|Benjamin Ferguson]]'s 1905 [[US$|$]]1 million charitable trust gift to "memorialize events in American History" funded The Fountain,<ref name=AP>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/80.html|title=Art, Public|accessdate=January 23, 2009|year=2005|publisher=[[Chicago Historical Society]]|work=The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago|author=Sokol, David M.}}</ref> and many other public works in Chicago.<ref>{{cite book|title=Millennium Park: Creating a Chicago Landmark|author=Gilfoyle, Timothy J.|publisher=University of Chicago Press|year=2006|page=346}}</ref><ref name=TRoMiMGaAS>{{cite journal|jstor=1574334|title=The Role of Materials in My Geometric and Abstract Sculpture: A Memoir|date=Winter 1982|author=Greene-Mercier, Marie Zoe|publisher=|work=Leonardo|volume=15|pages=1–6|doi=10.2307/1574334}}</ref>  As the city attempted to determine a policy for the fund's use, Taft argued for fountains, allegorical statuary, discreetly placed portrait busts, and the adornment of bridges and park entrances in order to create long-lasting beauty in addition to supporting the style of art he pursued.<ref name="G11-12">Garvey, p. 11–12</ref>  By September 1905 his name was linked in the press to the fund as a possible deserving recipient of its first commission.<ref name="G11-12"/>  During the 1905&ndash;1906 year he began to place greater emphasis on sculpture in the classes he taught at the [[School of the Art Institute of Chicago]], while simultaneously refining earlier allegorical.<ref name="G11-12"/>
+[[Benjamin F. Ferguson|Benjamin Ferguson]]'s 1905 [[US$|$]]1 million charitable trust gift to "memorialize events in American History" funded The Fountain,<ref name=AP>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/80.html|title=Art, Public|access-date=January 23, 2009|year=2005|publisher=[[Chicago Historical Society]]|encyclopedia=The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago|author=Sokol, David M.}}</ref> and many other public works in Chicago.<ref>{{cite book|title=Millennium Park: Creating a Chicago Landmark|url=https://archive.org/details/millenniumparkcr00gilf|url-access=registration|author=Gilfoyle, Timothy J.|publisher=University of Chicago Press|year=2006|page=[https://archive.org/details/millenniumparkcr00gilf/page/346 346]|isbn=9780226293493 }}</ref><ref name=TRoMiMGaAS>{{cite journal|jstor=1574334|title=The Role of Materials in My Geometric and Abstract Sculpture: A Memoir|date=Winter 1982|author=Greene-Mercier, Marie Zoe|journal=Leonardo|volume=15|issue=1|pages=1–6|doi=10.2307/1574334|s2cid=191380859}}</ref>  As the city attempted to determine a policy for the fund's use, Taft argued for fountains, allegorical statuary, discreetly placed portrait busts, and the adornment of bridges and park entrances in order to create long-lasting beauty in addition to supporting the style of art he pursued.<ref name="G11-12">Garvey, pp. 11–12.</ref>  By September 1905 his name was linked in the press to the fund as a possible deserving recipient of its first commission.<ref name="G11-12"/>  During the 1905&ndash;1906 year he began to place greater emphasis on sculpture in the classes he taught at the [[School of the Art Institute of Chicago]], while simultaneously refining earlier allegorical.<ref name="G11-12"/>
-The fountain is Taft's response to [[Daniel Burnham]]'s complaint at the [[Columbian Exposition]] in 1893 that the sculptors charged with ornamenting the fairgrounds failed to produce anything that represented the great natural resources of the west, especially the [[Great Lakes]].<ref name=GLC>{{cite web|url=http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/history/art/f_1.html|accessdate=June 7, 2007|publisher=Great Lakes Commission|title=Fountain of the Great Lakes}}</ref>  In Spring 1902, Taft had assigned his students a work entitled ''Spirit of the Great Lakes''.  Five women had molded individual figures in response to an assignment and joined them in a tiered group with an imagined waterflow from the containers that they held.  By mid-January 1906, Taft cast a plaster version, which he exhibited to Ferguson Fund Trestee Charles L. Hitchinson on January 17 at [[Lorado Taft Midway Studios|Taft's Midway Studios]].  By the end of January, The [[Art Institute of Chicago]] displayed the work during its annual local works exhibition.  It gained support during its four-week display and won the [[Chicago Municipal Art League]] top sculpture award, and along with two other bust works he won the [[Society of Chicago Artists]]' Medal for general excellence.<ref name="G11-12"/>  The Municipal art League exhibition Chairperson, Mrs. William F. Grower, decided to form a subcommittee to help satisfy public support for the work to be the first Ferguson fund commission.<ref name="G12-14">Garvey, p. 12–14</ref> However, even after the [[probate court]] released the bequest to the trustees on May 23, 1906, no commission was made because the trustees were undecided between a statuary and a portrait commission.<ref name="G12-14"/>
+The fountain is Taft's response to [[Daniel Burnham]]'s complaint at the [[Columbian Exposition]] in 1893 that the sculptors charged with ornamenting the fairgrounds failed to produce anything that represented the great natural resources of the west, especially the [[Great Lakes]].<ref name=GLC>{{cite web|url=http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/history/art/f_1.html|access-date=June 7, 2007|publisher=Great Lakes Commission|title=Fountain of the Great Lakes|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713101004/http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/history/art/f_1.html|archive-date=July 13, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>  In Spring 1902, Taft had assigned his students a work entitled ''Spirit of the Great Lakes''.  Five women had molded individual figures in response to an assignment and joined them in a tiered group with an imagined waterflow from the containers that they held.  By mid-January 1906, Taft cast a plaster version, which he exhibited to Ferguson Fund Trestee Charles L. Hitchinson on January 17 at [[Lorado Taft Midway Studios|Taft's Midway Studios]].  By the end of January, The [[Art Institute of Chicago]] displayed the work during its annual local works exhibition.  It gained support during its four-week display and won the [[Chicago Municipal Art League]] top sculpture award, and along with two other bust works he won the [[Society of Chicago Artists]]' Medal for general excellence.<ref name="G11-12"/>  The Municipal art League exhibition chairperson, Mrs. William F. Grower, decided to form a subcommittee to help satisfy public support for the work to be the first Ferguson fund commission.<ref name="G12-14">Garvey, pp. 12–14.</ref> However, even after the [[probate court]] released the bequest to the trustees on May 23, 1906, no commission was made because the trustees were undecided between a statuary and a portrait commission.<ref name="G12-14"/>
-Additionally, Grant Park has been protected since 1836 by "forever open, clear and free" legislation that has been affirmed by several [[Illinois Supreme Court]] rulings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CSTB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=121435C3FB5CE640&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=Mayor gets what he wants - Council OKs move 33-16 despite opposition|accessdate=July 29, 2008|date=June 12, 2008|publisher=Newsbank|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|author=Spielman, Fran}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=1212F083B836ABB8&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=The taking of Grant Park|accessdate=July 29, 2008|date=June 8, 2008|publisher=Newsbank|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CSTB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=120B5E8D060726E0&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=13-2 vote for museum - Decision on Grant Park sets up Council battle|accessdate=July 29, 2008|date=May 16, 2008|publisher=Newsbank|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|author=Spielman, Fran and Art Golab}}</ref> [[Aaron Montgomery Ward]] twice sued the city of Chicago to force it to remove buildings and structures from Grant Park and to keep it from building new ones.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/538.html|title=Grant Park|accessdate=July 28, 2008|year=2005|work=The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago|publisher=[[Chicago Historical Society]]|author=Grinnell, Max}}</ref> The second suit was still pending in 1906 and the legal cloud regarding deliberations of architectural limitations in [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]] caused inaction.<ref name="G14-15">Garvey, p. 14–15</ref>  While the trustees remained silent, Taft sought wider public support by publishing a picture of ''Spirit of the Great Lakes'' in ''[[Century Magazine]]'', which drew interest from [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]], New York as a host of the final work.  By February 1907, ''Buffalo Illustrated Times published'' a cover with an image of the work and a caption describing the anticipation of the Beautifying Buffalo Society for obtaining the work for the city.<ref name="G15-16">Garvey, p. 15–17</ref>  However, by the end of 1907 Taft and his connections with the Trust Fund resolved his commission.<ref name="G15-16"/>
+Additionally, Grant Park has been protected since 1836 by "forever open, clear and free" legislation that has been affirmed by several [[Illinois Supreme Court]] rulings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CSTB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=121435C3FB5CE640&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=Mayor gets what he wants - Council OKs move 33-16 despite opposition|access-date=July 29, 2008|date=June 12, 2008|publisher=Newsbank|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|author=Spielman, Fran}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=1212F083B836ABB8&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=The taking of Grant Park|access-date=July 29, 2008|date=June 8, 2008|publisher=Newsbank|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CSTB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=120B5E8D060726E0&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2|title=13-2 vote for museum - Decision on Grant Park sets up Council battle|access-date=July 29, 2008|date=May 16, 2008|publisher=Newsbank|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|author=Spielman, Fran and Art Golab}}</ref> [[Aaron Montgomery Ward]] twice sued the city of Chicago to force it to remove buildings and structures from Grant Park and to keep it from building new ones.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/538.html|title=Grant Park|access-date=July 28, 2008|year=2005|encyclopedia=The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago|publisher=[[Chicago Historical Society]]|author=Grinnell, Max}}</ref> The second suit was still pending in 1906 and the legal cloud regarding deliberations of architectural limitations in [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]] caused inaction.<ref name="G14-15">Garvey, pp. 14–15.</ref>  While the trustees remained silent, Taft sought wider public support by publishing a picture of ''Spirit of the Great Lakes'' in ''[[Century Magazine]]'', which drew interest from [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]], New York as a host of the final work.  By February 1907, ''Buffalo Illustrated Times published'' a cover with an image of the work and a caption describing the anticipation of the Beautifying Buffalo Society for obtaining the work for the city.<ref name="G15-16">Garvey, p. 15–17</ref>  However, by the end of 1907 Taft and his connections with the Trust Fund resolved his commission.<ref name="G15-16"/>
 {{multiple image
@@ Line 60: / Line 62: @@
  | caption1  =
 }}
-On October 31, 1907, the Ferguson Trust Board voted Taft a commission, and on December 16, he signed a $38,000 contract to commence work.<ref name="G15-16"/>  The commission was the first commission from the Ferguson fund.<ref name=G142>Garvey, p. 142</ref> Despite the financial agreement it would be some time before a determination of a site for the work.  Ward's suit continued to loom over the deliberations.  One proposal was to locate it in Grant Park south of the Art Institute and another was to locate it at the 35th Street and Grand Boulevard (Now Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive) intersection that now hosts the [[Chicago Landmark]] and [[National Register of Historic Places]]-listed ''[[Victory Monument (Chicago)|Victory Monument]]''.<ref name="G15-16"/><ref name=CL>{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/V/Victory.html|title=Victory Monument|publisher=City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division|year=2003|accessdate=March 18, 2009|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070410125837/http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/V/Victory.html|archivedate=April 10, 2007|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The 1909 Art Institute annual report mentioned a proposal for a sunken garden with a focal fountain south of the Institute.<ref name="G15-16"/>  Legal issues regarding land use intensified in 1910, and the Art Institute began to make modest plans for the fountain almost attached to the south wall of its own building.<ref name="G18-20">Garvey, p. 18-20</ref>  For the next few years there was little mention of the fountain as Taft focused on other work.<ref name="G18-20"/> Then in May 1913, the fountain model at Taft's Midway Studios was disassembled and taken to Jules Berchem's [[foundry]] for bronze casting.<ref name="G18-20"/>  Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge designed the base for the sculpture.<ref name=G37>Garvey, p. 37</ref>  It was subsequently assembled by mid-August in preparation for a September 9, 1913 dedication date.<ref name="G18-20"/>
+On October 31, 1907, the Ferguson Trust Board voted Taft a commission, and on December 16, he signed a $38,000 contract to commence work.<ref name="G15-16"/>  The commission was the first commission from the Ferguson fund.<ref name=G142>Garvey, p. 142.</ref> Despite the financial agreement it would be some time before a determination of a site for the work.  Ward's suit continued to loom over the deliberations.  One proposal was to locate it in Grant Park south of the Art Institute and another was to locate it at the 35th Street and Grand Boulevard (Now Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive) intersection that now hosts the [[Chicago Landmark]] and [[National Register of Historic Places]]-listed ''[[Victory Monument (Chicago)|Victory Monument]]''.<ref name="G15-16"/><ref name=CL>{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/V/Victory.html|title=Victory Monument|publisher=City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division|year=2003|access-date=March 18, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070410125837/http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/V/Victory.html|archive-date=April 10, 2007|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The 1909 Art Institute annual report mentioned a proposal for a sunken garden with a focal fountain south of the institute.<ref name="G15-16"/>  Legal issues regarding land use intensified in 1910, and the Art Institute began to make modest plans for the fountain almost attached to the south wall of its own building.<ref name="G18-20">Garvey, pp. 18-20.</ref>  For the next few years there was little mention of the fountain as Taft focused on other work.<ref name="G18-20"/> Then in May 1913, the fountain model at Taft's Midway Studios was disassembled and taken to Jules Berchem's [[foundry]] for bronze casting.<ref name="G18-20"/>  Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge designed the base for the sculpture.<ref name=G37>Garvey, p. 37.</ref>  It was subsequently assembled by mid-August in preparation for a September 9, 1913 dedication date.<ref name="G18-20"/>
-In 1963 with the construction of the new Morton wing of the [[Art Institute of Chicago Building]], the fountain was moved from its south facing position adjacent to the original building that was visible from the [[Historic Michigan Boulevard District]] to the west wall of the new wing in a position facing westward.  The sculpture was positioned so that the plaque on the back, which reads that the "fund must be used for erecting and maintaining enduring statuary and monuments",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://quickproxy4.chipublib.org/imrjL165/url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?RQT=569&curl=http://quicksearch.chipublib.org/cgi-bin/cpl-gr.pl?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=623914432&sid=1&Fmt=10&clientId=11417&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=1237386831|title=Art Institute Hit for Shift of Statue|accessdate=March 18, 2009|date=March 17, 1963|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> is no longer legible.
+In 1963 with the construction of the new Morton wing of the [[Art Institute of Chicago Building]], the fountain was moved from its south facing position adjacent to the original building that was visible from the [[Historic Michigan Boulevard District]] to the west wall of the new wing in a position facing westward.  The sculpture was positioned so that the plaque on the back, which reads that the "fund must be used for erecting and maintaining enduring statuary and monuments",<ref>{{cite news|title=Art Institute Hit for Shift of Statue|date=March 17, 1963|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|id = {{ProQuest|182618936}}}}</ref> is no longer legible.
-[[File:Victory Monument Chicago 2.jpg|thumb|''Fountain of the Great Lakes'' was almost located at 35th Street and King Drive, where the [[National Register of Historic Places]]-listed [[Victory Monument (Chicago)|Victory Monument]] now sits.]]
+[[File:Victory Monument Chicago 2.jpg|thumb|''Fountain of the Great Lakes'' was almost located at 35th Street and King Drive, where the [[National Register of Historic Places]]-listed World War I [[Victory Monument (Chicago)|Victory Monument]] is now sited.]]
-Although Taft is now better remembered for his books such as ''The History of American Sculpture'', which is regarded as the first comprehensive work on the subject in the title, he was in his day well known for [[portrait]]s and allegorical public sculpture, especially public fountains.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Oxford Dictionary of Art|pages=549|isbn=0-19-860084-4|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=1997|editor=Chilvers, Ian and Harold Osborne|edition=New}}</ref>  The fountain was produced in the period following his assignment to design sculptures for [[William Le Baron Jenney]]'s Horticultural Building when he designed several large-scale public works, including ''[[Fountain of Time]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1723.html|title=Lorado Taft and Chicago Sculpture|accessdate=January 23, 2009|year=2005|publisher=[[Chicago Historical Society]]|work=The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago|author=Garvey, Timothy J.}}</ref>
+Although Taft is now better remembered for his books such as ''The History of American Sculpture'', which is regarded as the first comprehensive work on the subject in the title, he was in his day well known for [[portrait]]s and allegorical public sculpture, especially public fountains.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Oxford Dictionary of Art|pages=549|isbn=0-19-860084-4|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=1997|editor=Chilvers, Ian and Harold Osborne|edition=New}}</ref>  The fountain was produced in the period following his assignment to design sculptures for [[William Le Baron Jenney]]'s Horticultural Building when he designed several large-scale public works, including ''[[Fountain of Time]]''.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1723.html|title=Lorado Taft and Chicago Sculpture|access-date=January 23, 2009|year=2005|publisher=[[Chicago Historical Society]]|encyclopedia=The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago|author=Garvey, Timothy J.}}</ref>
 At the time of the dedication, Taft described the Ferguson Fund commission to sculpt the fountain as a turning point in his career that led to increased publicity, more commissions, and growing recognition in the community, which combined to give him the encouragement for further commitment to the arts.<ref name=G37/>  He hoped that the ''Fountain of the Great Lakes'' would mark a new era of civic beautification and that it would also mark the beginning of the Chicago school of sculpture.<ref name=G140>Garvey, p. 140.</ref>  The dream that Chicago would be the epicenter of the sculpting universe had been bred during the World's Columbian Exposition twenty years earlier and rekindled with the Ferguson bequest.<ref name=G140/>  ''Fountain of the Great Lakes'' was a major career accomplishment for Taft, which propelled him beyond the level of a portraitist.<ref name=G141>Garvey, p. 141.</ref>
 ==Critical response==
-The general opinion of ''Fountain of the Great Lakes'' was positive with some describing it as a cultural achievement for Taft and Chicago. The detractors conceded that as a figural composition, it was ideal in an Old World way.  Critics voiced concern over the sculpture's confusion and decorum.<ref name="G149-150">Garvey, pp. 149-150.</ref>  One of the basic problems for the critics was the propriety of the symbolism of artistic and attractive bronze figures posed as bodies of water.  There had for some time been discussion of the depictions representing relative elevations and the flows of the waters as they seem to do. There were grumblings for closer association of the figures to the lakes by use of physical features, directional orientation and definite contours.<ref name="G149-150"/>  [[Harriet Monroe]], a general supporter of Taft's artistic efforts, was disappointed in the lack of representative geographic configuration and the lack of spirit of the lakes as inland seas.<ref name="G150-55">Garvey, p. 150-55</ref>  With respect to this specific piece she had gone from being an ardent supporter who felt the model was "stupendous" to finding herself in "doubt" about the work.<ref name="G162-63">Garvey, pp. 162-63.</ref>  Taft's human form depictions of the lake failed to capture the imagery of contemporary [[literature]] as it related to the power and fury of nature and the heroism of those struggling against those forces in works such as those of [[Hamlin Garland]], [[Charles Eugene Banks]], [[Willa Cather]], or [[Robert Morss Lovett]].<ref name="G150-55"/>  Taft's representations of Lakes with quiet trickling water was in keeping with his general theme of quiet dignity for public sculpture.<ref name="G150-55"/>  On the day of the dedication the ''[[Chicago Daily News]]'' expressed this point with a [[photomontage]] juxtaposition of Taft's fountain and [[Lake Michigan]] in all its fury.<ref name="G150-55"/>
+The general opinion of ''Fountain of the Great Lakes'' was positive with some describing it as a cultural achievement for Taft and Chicago. The detractors conceded that as a figural composition, it was ideal in an Old World way.  Critics voiced concern over the sculpture's confusion and decorum.<ref name="G149-150">Garvey, pp. 149-150.</ref>  One of the basic problems for the critics was the propriety of the symbolism of artistic and attractive bronze figures posed as bodies of water.  There had for some time been discussion of the depictions representing relative elevations and the flows of the waters as they seem to do. There were grumblings for closer association of the figures to the lakes by use of physical features, directional orientation and definite contours.<ref name="G149-150"/>  [[Harriet Monroe]], a general supporter of Taft's artistic efforts, was disappointed in the lack of representative geographic configuration and the lack of spirit of the lakes as inland seas.<ref name="G150-55">Garvey, pp. 150-55.</ref>  With respect to this specific piece she had gone from being an ardent supporter who felt the model was "stupendous" to finding herself in "doubt" about the work.<ref name="G162-63">Garvey, pp. 162-63.</ref>  Taft's human form depictions of the lake failed to capture the imagery of contemporary [[literature]] as it related to the power and fury of nature and the heroism of those struggling against those forces in works such as those of [[Hamlin Garland]], [[Charles Eugene Banks]], [[Willa Cather]], or [[Robert Morss Lovett]].<ref name="G150-55"/>  Taft's representations of Lakes with quiet trickling water was in keeping with his general theme of quiet dignity for public sculpture.<ref name="G150-55"/>  On the day of the dedication the ''[[Chicago Daily News]]'' expressed this point with a [[photomontage]] juxtaposition of Taft's fountain and [[Lake Michigan]] in all its fury.<ref name="G150-55"/>
-After one got past the symbolism of the ladies as lakes, complaints existed about the lack of recognition of the contemporary form of female representation in art and literature which had gone from the [[Lillian Russell]]-type to the [[Gibson Girl]] to the [[Lillie Langtry]] image while Taft had apparently chosen "packing house ladies" as his female form.<ref name=G156>Garvey, p. 156.</ref>  When Taft presented live depictions of his sculptures with quintets of women, he faced complaints that three of his five sculptural compositions had nude upper torsos, while his live representations were fully clothed.<ref name=G156/>  The degree to which nudity in public art was more for the "sake of nudity than for the sake of art." was a contemporary issue involving confiscated [[Paul Chabas]] fully nude painting, the Roman Catholic Church, critics, art dealers and collectors.  All this led to a 1913 amendment to the Chicago municipal obscenity laws proposed by [[Mayor of Chicago]] [[Carter Harrison, Jr.]] to the [[Chicago City Council]], which passed three months before the dedication of Taft's partially nude fountain.<ref name=G158>Garvey, p. 158</ref> ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' writers stood behind Taft's fountain using humor against what they described as a "streak of over-accentuated [[Religious fanaticism|puritanism]]" that could adversely affect public art.<ref name=G158/>
+After one got past the symbolism of the ladies as lakes, complaints existed about the lack of recognition of the contemporary form of female representation in art and literature which had gone from the [[Lillian Russell]]-type to the [[Gibson Girl]] to the [[Lillie Langtry]] image while Taft had apparently chosen "packing house ladies" as his female form.<ref name=G156>Garvey, p. 156.</ref>  When Taft presented live depictions of his sculptures with quintets of women, he faced complaints that three of his five sculptural compositions had nude upper torsos, while his live representations were fully clothed.<ref name=G156/>  The degree to which nudity in public art was more for the "sake of nudity than for the sake of art." was a contemporary issue involving confiscated [[Paul Chabas]] fully nude painting, the Roman Catholic Church, critics, art dealers and collectors.  All this led to a 1913 amendment to the Chicago municipal obscenity laws proposed by [[Mayor of Chicago]] [[Carter Harrison, Jr.]] to the [[Chicago City Council]], which passed three months before the dedication of Taft's partially nude fountain.<ref name=G158>Garvey, p. 158.</ref> ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' writers stood behind Taft's fountain using humor against what they described as a "streak of over-accentuated [[Religious fanaticism|puritanism]]" that could adversely affect public art.<ref name=G158/>
 Taft had [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]] training that lent itself well to [[allegorical sculpture]].  For ''Fountain of the Great Lakes'', Taft claimed an inspiration from the [[Greek mythology]].  [[Danaus]] ordered his 49 daughters to kill their husbands and condemned them to delivering water to a bottomless vessel in [[Hades]].  This was in keeping with Taft's penchant for classical inspiration although this was a loose association where the number of daughters was reduced from 49 to 5 and the artist's task did not seem to be nearly as cruel as the mythological one.<ref name="G174-75">Garvey, pp. 174-75.</ref>
@@ Line 83: / Line 85: @@
 ==References==
-*{{cite book|title=Public Sculptor: Lorado Taft and the Beautification of Chicago|author=Garvey, Timothy J.|year=1988|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=0-252-01501-0}}
+*{{cite book|title=Public Sculptor: Lorado Taft and the Beautification of Chicago|author=Garvey, Timothy J.|year=1988|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=0-252-01501-0|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/publicsculptorlo00garv}}
 *{{cite book|title=Lorado Taft: Sculptor and Citizen|author=Taft, Ada Bartlett|year=1946|publisher=Mary Taft Smith}}
@@ Line 93: / Line 95: @@
 {{Grant Park}}
 {{Lorado Taft}}
+{{Art Institute of Chicago}}
+{{Public art in Chicago}}
 {{coord|41|52|43.6|N|87|37|24.1|W|type:landmark_region:US-IL|display=title}}
 {{Good article}}
 [[Category:1913 sculptures]]
-[[Category:Sculptures of the Art Institute of Chicago]]
+[[Category:Sculptures in the Art Institute of Chicago]]
 [[Category:Fountains in Illinois]]
 [[Category:Outdoor sculptures in Chicago]]
 [[Category:Sculptures by Lorado Taft]]
 [[Category:Bronze sculptures in Illinois]]
+[[Category:Relocated buildings and structures in Illinois]]
 [[Category:Statues in Chicago]]
 [[Category:Allegorical sculptures in Illinois]]
 [[Category:1913 establishments in Illinois]]
 [[Category:Sculptures of women in Illinois]]
-[[Category:Sculptures of children in the United States]]
+[[Category:Sculptures of children in Illinois]]

v t e Grant Park
Features and attractions	Art Institute of Chicago Auditorium Building BP Pedestrian Bridge Buckingham Fountain Burnham Pavilions Chicago Lakefront Trail Grant Park Symphony Orchestra Maggie Daley Park Millennium Park Museum Campus Adler Planetarium Field Museum of Natural History Shedd Aquarium Soldier Field Nichols Bridgeway Petrillo Music Shell
Public art	8th Street Fountain Abraham Lincoln: The Head of State Agora America's Courtyard Big Beaver Totem Pole The Bowman and The Spearman Bust of Georg Solti Chicago Stock Exchange Arch Cloud Gate Christopher Columbus Crown Fountain Cubi VII Flying Dragon Fountain of the Great Lakes General John Logan Memorial Joseph Rosenberg Fountain Large Interior Form Lions Magdalene Man Enters the Cosmos Man with Fish Olmec Head, Number 8 Spiral Galaxy Spirit of Music Untitled (Wool)
Events	Bike the Drive Chicago Blues Festival Chicago Jazz Festival Chicago Marathon Grant Park Music Festival Lollapalooza Taste of Chicago 1968 Democratic National Convention protests Barack Obama election victory speech (2008)
Area streets	Balbo Drive Columbus Drive Ida B. Wells Drive Historic Michigan Boulevard District Jackson Boulevard Lake Shore Drive Michigan Avenue Monroe Street Randolph Street Roosevelt Road
Other	Burnham Plan of Chicago Metra Electric District Millennium Station Municipal Grant Park Stadium South Shore Line

v t e Lorado Taft
Sculptures	LaFayette Fountain Black Hawk Statue Eternal Silence Statue of George Washington Columbus Fountain Fountain of the Great Lakes The Solitude of the Soul The Soldiers' Monument Thatcher Memorial Fountain Fountain of Time The Recording Angel Lincoln the Lawyer The Pioneers Alma Mater Frances Elizabeth Willard The Crusader Heald Square Monument
Related	Taft family Emily Taft Douglas (daughter) Eagle's Nest Art Colony Lorado Taft Midway Studios

v t e Art Institute of Chicago
Paintings in collection	The Advance-Guard, or The Military Sacrifice American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman) American Gothic Arrival of the Normandy Train, Gare Saint-Lazare At the Moulin Rouge The Basket of Apples Bathers by a River The Bathers (Cézanne) Beata Beatrix Bedroom in Arles The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (Giovanni di Paolo Blue and Green Music Bullfight – Death of the Bull The Captive Slave Charing Cross Bridge (Monet series) The Child's Bath Christ and the Virgin Diptych Christ on the Cross (Zurbarán) Ciphers and Constellations, in Love with a Woman The Cliff Walk at Pourville The Combat of the Giaour and Hassan Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler (Picasso) The Denial of Saint Peter (Hendrick ter Brugghen) Eiffel Tower (Delaunay series) Figure with Meat Haystacks (Monet series) Improvisation No. 30 (Cannons) Jacques and Berthe Lipchitz Jesus Insulted by the Soldiers The Kitchen Maid The Lion Hunt (Delacroix) Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise Madonna and Child with the Infant John the Baptist (Correggio, Chicago) Mahana no atua Merahi metua no Tehamana The Millinery Shop Nighthawks The Old Guitarist Old Man with a Gold Chain On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt On the Threshold of Liberty Paris Street; Rainy Day Portrait of a Woman in a Chair Portrait of Amédée de Pastoret Portrait of Madame Pastoret Portrait of Mary Adeline Williams The Races at Longchamp Resurrection (Cecco del Caravaggio) The Sacred Grove, Beloved of the Arts and Muses Saint George and the Dragon (Martorell) Saint Martin and the Beggar (El Greco) Santo Domingo el Antiguo Altarpiece The Seine at Port-Marly, Piles of Sand A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte The Dreamer The Interior of the Palm House on the Pfaueninsel Near Potsdam Time Transfixed Two Sisters (On the Terrace) Untitled (1999 painting by Ellen Gallagher) Water Lilies (Monet series) White Crucifixion Woman with a Fan The Yellow Christ
Sculptures in collection	Adam (Rodin) Chicago Stock Exchange Arch Cubi VII Flying Dragon (Calder) Fountain of the Great Lakes Large Interior Form, 1953–54 Lions (Kemeys) Solar Bird The Solitude of the Soul Table with Pink Tablecloth Untitled (Rückriem) The Walking Man
Other items in collection	Mosaic Fragment with Man Leading a Giraffe Ryerson & Burnham Libraries collection Thorne miniature rooms Chocolate Jar with Iron-Locked Lid Randolph Street Gallery archive
School of the Art Institute of Chicago	People Chicago Imagists Video Data Bank
Related	Art Institute of Chicago Building Goodman Theatre Helen Gardner Pratapaditya Pal List of painters in the Art Institute of Chicago Masterpiece (game)