The Pulitzer Fountain is located in Grand Army Plaza, at the edge of Central Park. The Fountain is named after Joseph Pulitzer, who donated $50,000 for the creation of this impressive monument. The entire piece is 22 feet high, including the larger than life-size sculpture of the Roman goddess, Pomona, on top.
The fountain’s location is actually something that the architect and sculptor worked very hard to accomplish. While it was always intended to be in Grand Army Plaza, they made it symmetrical with this monument inside, but in order to do this, they had to move the William Tecumseh Sherman monument 16 feet West, in order to line it up with the Pulitzer Fountain. By doing this, they were able to line up the two most significant monuments of Grand Army Plaza.
As you can see from the photograph, there are 6 basins that hold water in this fountain. This complex design requires a constant and intricate flow of water. That is exactly what this monument gives us, as you can hear the water cascade down to each level. The powerful flow of water results in a beautiful waterfall from the sixth basin, which sits high above the rest, down to the fifth basin. The water then flows down each level by spouts that get larger and more elaborate as the water flows to the next level.
On top of the 6 basins of the fountain, stands the sculpture of the Roman goddess, Pomona. This bronze sculpture displays Pomona carrying a basket of fruits, which refers to her being the goddess of fruitful abundance. Looking at Pomona’s pose in the statue, it appears she is in a state of motion, as she is turning her head back to the right while also lifting her left leg. It looks as if she is turning to look at something behind her, but it is unclear what she could be looking at. Regardless of what she is looking back towards, the movement in this sculpture connects with the rest of the monument, as the entire piece of art has a sense of constant motion about it. Pomona is stuck in a state of motion, while the fountain constantly has water flowing from one basin to the next.
The sculpture’s presence is what brings the entire piece together. As we mentioned above, Pomona is the Roman goddess of fruitful abundance and this sense of abundance is carried, not only throughout the rest of the monument, but also throughout the surrounding area. The fountain, with its 6 basins of increasing size and detail, certainly displays an incredible level of abundance. However, the surrounding area emanates a similar level of wealth, as the Plaza Hotel and General Motors Building are both located around Grand Army Plaza.
This fountain was built in 1916 with the “City Beautiful Movement” in mind. The “City Beautiful Movement” began at the end of the 19th Century, as cities began to become overcrowded. In an attempt to deal with the poor city infrastructures, poverty, corruption and prostitution, this movement began. It involved a systematic planning and beautification of cities. Supporters of the movement believed that well designed buildings and public monuments would help keep the urban populations under control. They also argued that public art with classical style and technique would improve the aesthetic tastes of the urban populations. One of the main components of this movement was creating sculptures that would improve the morals of people by portraying uplifting and inspiring subject matter. This monument certainly accomplishes that, as it provides a feeling of wealth to anyone that gazes upon it.
