Diana Fountain, Bushy Park
Seventeenth-century fountain and vista centerpiece in Bushy Park.
The Diana Fountain in Bushy Park, located in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is a seventeenth-century bronze statue ensemble and water feature set within an eighteenth-century pool and landscape. It serves as the focal point of two major vistas designed by Sir Christopher Wren, including Chestnut Avenue, the ceremonial landward approach to Hampton Court Palace. Originally created for Somerset House in the 1630s, the fountain was moved to its current site in 1713 and is now a Grade I listed structure.
Quick Facts
- Building type
- Fountain
- Location
- Bushy Park, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
- Country
- England, United Kingdom
Facts from the source article.
History
The bronze sculptures were commissioned by Charles I for Queen Henrietta Maria's garden at Somerset House. The original design is attributed to Inigo Jones, based on a sketch drawing at Chatsworth House that shows figures similar to those in place today but in a different arrangement and stonework setting. The Somerset House base was lower and the pool smaller, allowing a closer view. The central gilt statue is attributed to Hubert Le Sueur, with payments from the king linked to him.
The other ungilded metal sculptures have been attributed to both Francesco Fanelli and Le Sueur; John Evelyn in 1662 credited the whole fountain to Fanelli, but most historians follow the Royal Parks in preferring Le Sueur's documented involvement. Site preparation began in 1633–34, and Le Sueur received what appears to be his final payment after completion in 1637. Nicholas Stone was paid for the black marble stone elements. In the original arrangement, the boy figures were positioned higher, between the central female figure and the sea-monsters carrying women, while scallop shells at the corners caught water from the fish held by the boys.
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