Poseidon’s power echoes here. This is the Neptunbrunnen. It is Dresden’s most significant baroque fountain. The Neptunbrunnen stands proudly in the garden of the Dresden-Friedrichstadt City Hospital. Many consider it one of Europe’s most magnificent baroque fountains.
Completed in 1746 the Neptunbrunnen is attributed to Zacharias Longuelune. Court sculptor Lorenzo Matielli used Longuelune’s design to complete this sandstone creation. Imagine the skill required to sculpt such detail from stone.
The Neptunbrunnen stretches 48 meters wide. It culminates in a three-tier cascade. Envision a carriage of shells. Two hippocampi draw this carriage. These creatures are half-horse and half-fish. They form the centerpiece of the fountain.
Neptune stands above this scene. His foot is firmly planted on a dolphin. To one side sits his wife Amphitrite. A Nereid and a Zephyr steer their carriage. Triton leads the group blowing on his conch shell horn.
River gods of antiquity are enthroned on pedestals. The Nile sits to the right. The Tiber sits to the left. Reliefs below the pedestals depict motifs of the respective river gods. Below the Tiber are Romulus and Remus with their wolf mother. The Nile is represented by a Sphinx surrounded by children.
Steps lead down on either side of the Neptunbrunnen. Vases round off the design. Their reliefs relate stories from Greek mythology. Look for Artemis Dionysus Apollo and Pan.
For centuries the Neptunbrunnen has been a point of pride for Dresden. The fountain faced strong weathering over time. The building material was badly damaged. Body parts had already broken off some figures. The Saxon Academy of Arts launched an appeal for donations to restore the Neptunbrunnen in 2006.
The upper part of the Neptunbrunnen was restored in 2009 and 2010. All figures were restored and supplemented. The iconographic state of 1745 was restored. Neptune now holds the laurel wreath in his right hand again. He is about to place it on his wife Amphitrite’s head. The Nereid holds a coral branch in her left hand. Zephyr carries Neptune’s trident.
The sculptor Robert Eduard Henze made artistic changes during restoration work in 1874 and 1875. These changes have now been reversed. Restoration work was largely completed in May 2013. Helma Orosz the Mayor of Dresden reopened the fountain on May 24 2013.
Two vases stand on each side of the fountain’s staircases. The two right-hand vases depicting Pan and Apollo were restored. They were reinstalled on July 1 2014. The two left-hand vases depicting Artemis and Dionysus have not yet been restored. This is to be done in the coming years with the help of donations.
Friedrich Dieckmann suggested in December 2017 that the original Neptunbrunnen be encased and restored. A copy should be erected in front of the Japanese Palais. The citizens of Dresden have a foundation to help sustain this fountain for the next 250 years.
The Neptunbrunnen reminds us of Dresden’s rich history. It is a testament to the city’s commitment to art and culture. Take a moment to appreciate the Neptunbrunnen. It is not just a fountain. It is a symbol of Dresden’s enduring spirit.