Darlington Memorial Fountain
The Darlington Memorial Fountain is a gilded bronze statue by C. Paul Jennewein. It is located at Judiciary Park at 5th Street and D Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Judiciary Square neighborhood.
| Darlington Memorial Fountain | |
|---|---|
 Statue in 2010 | |
| Artist | C. Paul Jennewein |
| Year | 1922 |
| Type | Gilded Bronze |
| Dimensions | 150 cm × 91 cm × 91 cm (5 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft) |
| Location | Washington, D.C., United States |
| 38°53′43″N 77°1′7″W | |
| Owner | District of Columbia |
Background
The Darlington Memorial Fountain was named after Joseph J. Darlington. Born in 1849, Darlington came to Washington as a young man to attend law school. He then gained an office on Fifth Street, and was known as the leader of the legal community. Darlington worked on Fifth Street for the remainder of his career.
Shortly after his death, friends and colleagues proposed to have a memorial built in his honor. A committee was formed under Frank J. Hogan to further the cause. After Congress passed a resolution in favor of the memorial, the committee passed its design selection responsibilities to the United States Commission of Fine Arts.
Design
The design by C. Paul Jennewein was approved by the United States Commission of Fine Arts, in 1921.[1]
It was installed in November 1923. There was some controversy about the nymph, both for its nudity and its lack of reference to Darlington.[2]
Inscription
The inscription reads:
- On top of bronze base
- A. Kunst
- Bronze Foundry N.Y.
- C.P. Jennewein
- SC. 1922
- On side of bronze base
- C.P. Jennewein
- SC. 1922
- On side of marble base
- This monument has been erected by his friends with the
- sanction of Congress in memory of Joseph James Darlington
- 1849–1920
- counselor teacher lover of mankind
Awards
The sculpture was awarded the 1926 Fairmount Park Association Prize from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Another example was acquired by Brookgreen Gardens in 1940, from Charles Louis Borie, friend of the sculptor.[3][4]
References
- United States. Commission of Fine Arts (1921). Report. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
- John E. Semonche (2007). Censoring sex: a historical journey through American media. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7425-5132-9.
- "Brookgreen Gardens -- Ever Changing. Simply Amazing". Archived from the original on 2011-11-19. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
- "Darlington Memorial Fountain: Nymph and Fawn, (sculpture)". SIRIS
External links
- "Committee is named to honour Darlington". ProQuest 149356435.
- Stein, Joseph. Legal Spector and More. TheCapitol.Net. ISBN 9781587332302.
- Volkmar Wentzel (1998). "Darlington Fountain". Washington By Night: Vintage Photographs from the 30s. Fulcrum Publishing. ISBN 978-1-55591-410-3.
- Nude figure as memorial brings severe criticism Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
