Ever wondered how art finds its way from a park to storage and then to a beautiful rose garden? The story of the Fisher Boy sculpture is just that. We are standing before the Fisher Boy sculpture. It is one of four delicate bronze figures.
These figures are part of the Fountain Figures. You will also find Crane Girl, Turtle Boy, and Dove Girl. Each stands in its own circular fountain with an animal at its feet. Crane Girl and Fisher Boy are north of the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain. Turtle Boy and Dove Girl are to the south.
Leonard Crunelle created the Fountain Figures. Crunelle was known for sculpting figures of children. He lived from 1872 to 1945.
The full-size plaster models of these sculptures were displayed in 1908. This was at an outdoor art exhibition in Humboldt Park. The Chicago Tribune explained the exhibit’s purpose. It was to show the beauties of landscape gardening and sculpture. Jens Jensen placed the figures at the four corners. Jensen is now recognized as the dean of the Prairie style in landscape architecture. He used a rectangular reflecting pool in Humboldt Park’s circular rose garden. At the time, a magazine suggested the Fountain Figures appeal to everyone’s childish fancy.
The original plaster versions were well-received. So, the West Park Commissioners recast them in bronze. The whimsical Fountain Figures stayed in Humboldt Park until the early 1950s. Vandals damaged them at that time.
The sculptures went into storage for over a decade. In 1964, the Chicago Park District installed them. They were placed in four circular fountains. This was part of a new Grant Park Rose Garden.
Crunelle’s other works in Chicago include the Richard Oglesby Monument. You can find it in Lincoln Park. There is also the Victory Monument on Martin Luther King Drive. Crunelle also created sculptural relief panels on the doors of the Museum of Science and Industry.
The Fisher Boy sculpture is six feet tall. It was originally displayed in 1908. It was damaged in the 1950s. It was restored and moved to Grant Park Rose Garden in 1964.
These sculptures have been documented. They are listed in the Smithsonian Institution’s Save Outdoor Sculpture program. They are also on the Chicago Public Art website. The Fisher Boy, along with its companions, adds a touch of whimsy. It enhances the beauty of Grant Park. It connects us to Chicago’s artistic past. Take a moment to appreciate the Fisher Boy’s journey. It traveled from Humboldt Park to this spot. It is a testament to the enduring power of art.