Gazing at Father Time’s hooded figure, do you feel the weight of ages? The Fountain of Time, an allegorical sculpture, stands as a testament to peace and the passage of life. Lorado Taft, a renowned Chicago sculptor, created this masterpiece in Washington Park. It commemorates 100 years of peace between England and the United States after the War of 1812.
This massive concrete sculpture is one of the first of its kind. It was part of a project to beautify the area and remember The Treaty of Ghent from 1814. The Fountain of Time wasn’t finished until 1920. Its water started flowing in 1922. Benjamin Ferguson’s Trust Fund financed the project. Taft drew inspiration from Henry Austin Dobson’s poem “The Paradox of Time.”
Notice the 100 figures marching before Father Time. These figures represent humanity’s journey through life. They show youth’s promise. They also depict love’s joy and war’s tragedy. You can see older figures gradually merging with the earth. Father Time stands still. He watches this continuous cycle unfold. He is not affected by time.
Taft himself is subtly included in the sculpture. Look for him on the west side. He is wearing a smock. His head is bowed in reflection. His hands are clasped behind his back. One of his assistants follows closely behind. Even Taft’s daughters served as models for some figures.
Originally, Taft wanted to use granite or marble. However, the trust’s funds only allowed for concrete. In 1999, Robert Jones from the Art Institute of Chicago declared Time as the first finished artwork made of concrete. The sculpture uses steel-reinforced cast concrete. It was created using a 4,500-piece mold. About 230 tons of concrete-like material was used. This material even included pebbles from the Potomac River.
The Fountain of Time measures an impressive 126 feet in length. Its presence is imposing. The fountain faced deterioration over the years. It underwent several restorations to combat natural and urban damage.
Pause for a moment. Consider the poem that inspired this work. “Time goes, you say? Ah no! Alas, Time stays, we go.” The sculpture embodies this sentiment. We are the ones passing through time. Time itself remains constant.
Before the completion of Millennium Park in 2004, the Fountain of Time was considered the most important art installation in the Chicago Park District. The Fountain of Time stands as a powerful symbol of life’s fleeting nature. It reminds us that time is always here. We are the ones who move through it.