“Danaides” rings a bell, doesn’t it? It echoes in the design of the Fountain of the Great Lakes. This magnificent artwork stands in the South Garden of the Art Institute of Chicago. Lorado Taft created it between 1907 and 1913.
The Fountain of the Great Lakes is a bronze sculpture and fountain. It allegorically represents the five Great Lakes of North America. Five women stand together. Their arrangement depicts water flowing through the lakes. The water starts in Lake Superior and flows eastward. It continues through each lake until it reaches Lake Ontario.
Taft’s Fountain of the Great Lakes responds to a complaint. Daniel Burnham lamented that sculptors at the Columbian Exposition failed to represent the Great Lakes. Taft wanted to showcase the natural resources of the American West. He had his students create a work called Spirit of the Great Lakes. Five women molded individual figures. They joined them in a tiered group. This group showed water flowing from containers.
The Fountain of the Great Lakes was initially installed on an elevated platform facing south. It was a visible landmark. People could see it from the Jackson and Michigan Avenue intersection. This intersection was once known as route center. In 1963, the fountain moved next to the Morton Wing addition. It then faced west.
Benjamin Ferguson’s 1905 gift funded the Fountain of the Great Lakes. He gave one million dollars to memorialize events in American History. Taft argued for fountains. He also wanted allegorical statues. He hoped to adorn bridges and park entrances. This would create lasting beauty.
The Municipal Art League supported the Fountain of the Great Lakes. Mrs. William F. Grower formed a subcommittee. This committee helped gain public support for the work. The trustees were undecided between statuary and portrait commissions. This caused delays.
Grant Park has been protected since 1836. Legislation ensured it remained open and free. Aaron Montgomery Ward sued Chicago twice. He wanted to keep buildings out of Grant Park. Legal issues caused inaction regarding the fountain’s location.
In 1907, the Ferguson Trust Board commissioned Taft. He signed a 38000-dollar contract to begin work. Despite the agreement, a site was undetermined for some time. Ward’s suit loomed over deliberations.
In May 1913, workers disassembled the fountain model at Taft’s Midway Studios. They took it to Jules Berchem’s foundry for bronze casting. Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge designed the base. The Fountain of the Great Lakes was assembled by mid-August. It was dedicated on September 9, 1913.
With the Morton wing construction in 1963, the fountain moved. It went from its south-facing spot to the wing’s west wall. A plaque on the back is no longer legible. It reads that the fund must be used for erecting and maintaining enduring statuary and monuments.
Taft hoped the Fountain of the Great Lakes would mark a new era. He wanted civic beautification. He also hoped it would mark the start of the Chicago school of sculpture. The World’s Columbian Exposition inspired this dream. The Ferguson bequest rekindled it. The Fountain of the Great Lakes propelled Taft beyond portraiture.
Critics had concerns about the fountain’s symbolism. Some questioned the artistic depiction of bodies of water. Harriet Monroe was disappointed by the lack of geographic configuration. She also missed the spirit of the lakes as inland seas.
Taft’s Beaux-Arts training influenced the Fountain of the Great Lakes. He drew inspiration from Greek mythology. Danaus ordered his daughters to kill their husbands. They were condemned to deliver water to a bottomless vessel in Hades. Taft reduced the daughters to five. The task also seemed less cruel. The Fountain of the Great Lakes stands as a testament to artistry and allegory.