Focus on this artwork and explain the Critical response.
The general opinion of Fountain of the Great Lakes was positive with some describing it as a cultural achievement for Taft and Chicago. The detractors conceded that as a figural composition, it was ideal in an Old World way.  Critics voiced concern over the sculpture's confusion and decorum.  One of the basic problems for the critics was the propriety of the symbolism of artistic and attractive bronze figures posed as bodies of water.  There had for some time been discussion of the depictions representing relative elevations and the flows of the waters as they seem to do. There were grumblings for closer association of the figures to the lakes by use of physical features, directional orientation and definite contours.  Harriet Monroe, a general supporter of Taft's artistic efforts, was disappointed in the lack of representative geographic configuration and the lack of spirit of the lakes as inland seas.  With respect to this specific piece she had gone from being an ardent supporter who felt the model was "stupendous" to finding herself in "doubt" about the work.  Taft's human form depictions of the lake failed to capture the imagery of contemporary literature as it related to the power and fury of nature and the heroism of those struggling against those forces in works such as those of Hamlin Garland, Charles Eugene Banks, Willa Cather, or Robert Morss Lovett.  Taft's representations of Lakes with quiet trickling water was in keeping with his general theme of quiet dignity for public sculpture.  On the day of the dedication the Chicago Daily News expressed this point with a photomontage juxtaposition of Taft's fountain and Lake Michigan in all its fury.After one got past the symbolism of the ladies as lakes, complaints existed about the lack of recognition of the contemporary form of female representation in art and literature which had gone from the Lillian Russell-type to the Gibson Girl to the Lillie Langtry image while Taft had apparently chosen "packing house ladies" as his female form.  When Taft presented live depictions of his sculptures with quintets of women, he faced complaints that three of his five sculptural compositions had nude upper torsos, while his live representations were fully clothed.  The degree to which nudity in public art was more for the "sake of nudity than for the sake of art." was a contemporary issue involving confiscated Paul Chabas fully nude painting, the Roman Catholic Church, critics, art dealers and collectors.  All this led to a 1913 amendment to the Chicago municipal obscenity laws proposed by Mayor of Chicago Carter Harrison, Jr. to the Chicago City Council, which passed three months before the dedication of Taft's partially nude fountain. Chicago Tribune writers stood behind Taft's fountain using humor against what they described as a "streak of over-accentuated puritanism" that could adversely affect public art.Taft had Beaux-Arts training that lent itself well to allegorical sculpture.  For Fountain of the Great Lakes, Taft claimed an inspiration from the Greek mythology.  Danaus ordered his 49 daughters to kill their husbands and condemned them to delivering water to a bottomless vessel in Hades.  This was in keeping with Taft's penchant for classical inspiration although this was a loose association where the number of daughters was reduced from 49 to 5 and the artist's task did not seem to be nearly as cruel as the mythological one.
puritanism Hades Chicago Robert Morss Lovett photomontage literature Lillian Russell Charles Eugene Banks Lake Michigan Gibson Girl Chicago Tribune Great Lakes Chicago Daily News Chicago City Council Carter Harrison, Jr. Paul Chabas Beaux-Arts Lillie Langtry Willa Cather bronze allegorical sculpture Hamlin Garland Danaus allegorical Harriet Monroe Mayor of Chicago sculpture Greek mythology