Fountain of the Centaurs facts for kids
The Fountain of the Centaurs is a beautiful fountain located in Jefferson City, Missouri. You can find it on the grounds of the Missouri State Capitol building, just north of it. It's a special spot with interesting sculptures that tell a story.
Discovering the Fountain's Art
The Fountain of the Centaurs is made up of two main parts. One part is a large granite pool with amazing bronze statues. These statues were created by a sculptor named Adolph Alexander Weinman. The other part is a huge bronze picture, called a "relief," showing the Signing of the Louisiana Purchase Agreement. This relief was made by Karl Bitter. Both parts were officially opened in 1927.
You might think the mythical creatures in the fountain are "centaurs" (which are half-human, half-horse). But they are actually "ichthyocentaurs"! This means the lower part of their bodies looks like sea serpents, not horses. Each of these centaurs is shown fighting with some kind of water creature. Playful sea urchins are also around them, splashing water.
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A close-up of the struggle
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Another close-up of the struggle
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A detail of an urchin
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Another urchin
The Story of the Louisiana Purchase
The large bronze relief at the fountain shows an important moment in American history: the signing of the Louisiana Purchase agreement. This agreement happened in 1803. The United States bought a huge amount of land from France. This land stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. It nearly doubled the size of the young United States!
The relief shows three important people involved in the signing. They are Robert R. Livingston and James Monroe from the United States, and François Barbé-Marbois from France.
From World's Fair to Fountain
This relief was first made for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904. This was a big world's fair held in St. Louis. The original relief was made of a material called "staff," which is not very strong. After the fair, the sculptor, Karl Bitter, made some small changes to the artwork. Then, it was cast in strong bronze. It was first placed in the Jefferson Memorial in St. Louis.
About ten years later, a committee working on the Missouri Capitol building wanted to use the artwork. They got permission from Karl Bitter's wife to make another bronze copy. This new copy was then placed in Jefferson City, where you can see it today at the Fountain of the Centaurs.
The image from this relief was even used on a U.S. postage stamp! The stamp was released in 1953 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase.
