Undine

The Lansdowne Fountain

Alexander Munro (1825-1871)

Exhibited at the 1869 Royal Academy

White marble on polished red granite pedestal

Source: the 1867 Illustrated London News, which comments “The late Marquis of Lansdowne, whose memory deserves to be cherished for his many virtues of public and private life, had shortly before his death made arrangements to erect a drinking-fountain, at his own cost, in Berkeley-square. He had intrusted this work of art to Mr. Alexander Monro, the sculptor, who had just completed his “Boy and Dolphin” fountain at Grosvenor-gate, a design which Lord Lansdowne muoh admired. The commission for the Berkeley-square fountain was the last given by that lamented nobleman, who was ever the constant, generous, and discriminating patron of merit in all branches of art and literature. He saw Mr. Munro’s design, and approved of it» but did not live to see its execution. The Engraving will show our readers out of London that it is one of the happiest efforts yet made to combine beauty with utility in a work of this description. [Continued below]

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