Out of the Box: From Myth to Art
Artist: Carl Tefft
Art Work: Fountain of Life, bronze and marble, 1905, 10’ x 5’x 8’
Location: New York Botanical Garden, 200th St. and Southern Boulevard, north of Fordham Road, in front of Museum Building
Grades: 5-6
About the Art: A fountain was included in the original plan for the Botanical Garden approved in 1897, but design competitions for the fountain were disappointing to the Board. They turned to the National Sculpture Society for advice, and in 1903, a design by Carl Tefft, sculptor, lithographer and teacher, was approved. On the base of the lively bronze fountain are figures from Greek and Roman mythology, the most revered source of inspiration at the time. Nymphs and cherubs ride horses with webbed feet and on dolphins.
Questions for Discussion: Move your body into the positions that the figures hold. How does it feel? Why do you think the sculptor made the figures so exaggerated? Do you see any clues to show why this fountain is entitled, Fountain of Life? In what ways does the fountain relate to the garden?
Sample Art Activity: Students design fountains for a public place, such as near their homes or school, using the myth of Pandora’s Box.
Purpose: To demonstrate an understanding of how artists take ideas from mythology.
Materials: sketch paper and pencils; colored plasticine, plastic wrap to signify water; simple tools such as wooden sticks, picnic knives and paper clips; cardboard bases about 6" x 6" for each student, plastic butter tubs or other small container to stick plasticine to as the base of the fountain..
Teaching Strategies:
- Before beginning the design phase, look for other examples of fountains, such as the one in Central Park. If possible, show the class a photo of the Bernini fountain in Vatican City, one of the most famous in Western art.
- Read the myth of Pandora’s Box from a source such as Classic Myths to Read Aloud (Crown, 1989).
- Lead the class in webbing to brainstorm what kinds of things came out of Pandora’s Box and how students could represent them.
- In small groups, students choose the proposed location for their fountain.
- They should draw ideas to show what would be included and how they would be arranged.
- Students cover the small containers with plasticine and attach other pieces to it using tools.
- They should use a cardboard base if necessary.
- Give the fountain model a name and label it with the names of students who worked on it.
Closure: Create a display on a table top or shelf for a collection of fountain designs with written work about the process of designing and creating them. Hold an opening of the garden design with invitations to family and friends.
Extensions: For logical learning: Research Italian sculpture and architecture to trace and document its use at the Botanical Garden, in your school building, and elsewhere in your environment. Document specific types of windows, doors, domes and columns that were used again and again. Create and display a graph showing your findings, then create a hypothesis for estimated usage for all buildings in the Bronx built between 1880-1910. For verbal and visual learning: Research Greek and Roman mythological creatures in art. Write a report on what creatures are in the fountain and what the sculptor was trying to show by including them. For physical learning: Choreograph, practice and perform a dance based on your ideas of a life cycle, with a group of friends.
National Art Education Learning Standards:
- Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
- Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines
- Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
