Design for a Fountain with Two Basins One on Top of the Other and Statues of Venus and Putti on the Top.
1608–65
Medium
Pen and black and brown ink, brush and gray wash over traces of graphite, with vertical line in graphite through the center to create the symmetry of the design
Dimensions
sheet: 7 13/16 x 6 1/4 in. (19.9 x 15.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase Anne and Carl Stern Gift, 1968
Accession Number
68.587
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing by Francesco Fanelli presents a charming design for a two-tiered fountain crowned with statues of Venus and playful putti. Created between 1608 and 1665, the sheet captures the graceful vertical arrangement of basins, where water would have flowed from the upper level into the larger basin below. The mythological figures at the summit evoke themes of love and abundance, common in fountain designs meant to delight viewers in gardens or courtyards. Fanelli’s technique brings the concept to life through precise pen lines and soft gray washes that suggest volume and shadow. ...