Creation Date

Sculpture creation date: 1962

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Description

Black and white photograph of a bronze fountain sculpture of a seated semi-nude woman with raised arms in the center of a circular pool, surrounded by onlookers in a park. The image shows "Spirit of the Sea," a bronze fountain sculpture by William Zorach located in Library Square Park, Bath, Maine. The sculpture, commissioned in 1958 and installed on July 19, 1962, depicts a stylized, modern nude female figure seated on a black granite base in the middle of a shallow circular pool. She faces slightly to one side with her torso twisting, one leg bent under her and the other extended, while both arms reach upward and back as water jets arch around and over her body. The bronze surface appears smooth and rounded, emphasizing simplified anatomical forms rather than fine details. Around the pool, a crowd of people, including children and adults, stand on the surrounding lawn and paths, watching the fountain during its dedication ceremony. Tall trees frame the park setting, and the water in the pool reflects the figure and the central pedestal. This work was cast at the Bedi-Rassy Art Foundry in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York, and is one of two installations of this sculpture in Maine, the other at the University of Maine at Machias, dedicated September 17, 1988. Photo taken August 5, 1962. Unidentified photographer. (See p16940-p16941)(NA4800.)

Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) (1990-1995) was a nationwide survey that ran from 1990-1995 documenting America’s outdoor sculpture. Established in 1990, SOS! helped educate local communities about America’s endangered sculptural heritage. The Maine Arts Commission was one of 106 organizations to participate in this survey.

Topic

Sculpture

Collection

MF161

Series Number

NA4800

Identifier

p16940

Rights and Access Note

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for non-commercial uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). For more information, contact Special Collections.

Existence and Location of Originals

Located at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress: AFC 2012/047 https://lccn.loc.gov/2013655211.

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Keywords

Save Outdoor Sculpture

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Rights Statement

In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted