Explore the Creation about the Information of this artwork.
Its creation was authorized by Congress on July 16, 1947 by the Joint Resolution 1701:The fountain's cascading design was inspired by a fountain in Genoa, Italy. Tuck and Eipel served as the structural engineers and Edward E. Ashley Associates were the mechanical engineers. While excavating for the fountain, a 7 ft. x 8 ft. tunnel was discovered. The tunnel had to be backfilled with concrete to make a proper bearing capacity for the fountain. Two concentric rings of 30-ton concrete piles had to be driven down 30–40 ft. into the ground to ensure that the ground was level. The largest bronze basin was the largest of its kind ever cast at the time and required "casting in four sections" which had to be fitted together "with great precision". The fountain was cast by the General Bronze Company and Modern Art Factory may have cast the zodiac signs. The pink granite used is from the Swenson Pink Granite Quarry in South Berwick, Maine.The Aries zodiac faces directly east with the Libra symbol facing west and the Virgo symbol arranged along Pennsylvania Avenue, leading to some believing that Masonic influences were essential in the architecture. On the vernal equinox the sun directly hits Aries, which then faces the rising sun a month later.
Masonic Aries Genoa bronze Virgo granite South Berwick, Maine mechanical engineers vernal equinox Granite Pennsylvania Avenue Libra Congress zodiac sign Bronze structural engineers concentric fountain bearing capacity pink granite