Fountain of Two Oceans sculpture in front of Wells Fargo building in downtown San Diego.
Perhaps you recall my blog post from early in the summer, where I was astonished at how the Fountain of Two Oceans sculpture in front of downtown’s Wells Fargo building had suddenly turned white! Well, yesterday I saw it has changed colors once again!
I’m guessing a number of people found the weird, mottled white color unattractive. (Personally, I thought it was ghastly.) Today, the human figures appear bronze again, but much darker than before, without the heavily tarnished surface. In my opinion, this is a big improvement. What do you think?
Before the figures were painted white:
Bronze nudes of Sergio Benvenuti’s Fountain of Two Oceans.
Painted white, possibly to resemble marble:
Fountain of Two Oceans sculpture suddenly becomes white!
Now much darker, matching the fountain’s base:
The reclining human figures today have a dark, new bronze appearance!
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Kate Sessions, the Mother of Balboa Park, holds a pine cone by the grass.
Balboa Park is bursting with cool sights wherever you go. If you’ve ever driven or walked along El Prado a short distance west of the Cabrillo Bridge, you’ve probably seen some slightly larger than life sculptures of people standing on either side of the street. Sefton Plaza, located at the intersection of El Prado and Balboa Drive, is the location of these four bronze sculptures.
On the south side stands a representation of horticulturist Kate Sessions holding a trowel and pine cone. Often called the Mother of Balboa Park, she was instrumental in creating the park’s many lush gardens and groves of trees. The sculpture stands among a variety of beautiful plants including species she introduced in the early years of the park.
The three lifelike sculptures on the north side of Sefton Plaza, an area called Founder’s Plaza, represent Ephraim Morse, Alonzo Horton and George Marston. These three were the visionaries who orginally conceived Balboa Park, then worked tirelessly to create it.
Ephraim Morse, an early settler and promoter of San Diego, and Alonzo Horton, a land speculator responsible for downtown San Diego’s current location, proposed in 1868 that the new city park occupy 1,400 acres. The sheer size of the park was simply amazing, considering San Diego at the time had a mere 2,300 residents! George Marston, often called the Father of Balboa Park, was a prominent department store owner who personally funded the park’s design. To turn the grand vision into reality, he hired the former superintendent of New York City’s Central Park, Samuel B. Parsons Jr. The park’s construction began in 1903 at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Date Street. (Just a three minute walk from where I live! I love it!)
The four wonderfully realistic bronze sculptures were created by local artist Ruth Hayward. She intentionally made them about 10% larger than life, so they’d appear slightly imposing.
Balboa Park, which began as a grand idea in the minds of just a few people, today is the nation’s largest urban cultural park!
During her life, Kate Sessions created gardens and landscapes for all to enjoy.Kate Sessions lingers on footpath between Cabrillo Bridge and Sixth Avenue.More pine cones fill a shallow box at Kate Sessions’ booted feet.Lifelike sculptures of Ephraim Morse and Alonzo Horton in Founder’s Plaza.Two of Balboa Park’s early advocates survey their awesome creation.Founders Plaza gifted to the James Dayton North Family 1868.Near Morse and Horton, George Marston sits on a wall, enjoying the surrounding beauty.George Marston is remembered today as the Father of Balboa Park.Bronze sculpture sits comfortably next to its hat by a small pool of water.
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Bronze sculpture of Mark Twain sitting on a bench at Fenton Marketplace in Mission Valley.
A very famous author is known to hang out in San Diego. He’s usually seen just off Friars Road in Mission Valley. He likes to sit on a bench at Fenton Marketplace in front of the International House of Pancakes!
Who is this celebrated writer of American literature? That prolific master of humor and satire, Mark Twain!
According to my research on the internet, Mr. Samuel Clemens seems to get around. He’s been seen in the same pose in numerous cities. That’s because the bronze sculpture, by artist Gary Lee Price, is practically mass-produced!
Samuel Clemens gazes up dreamily from his book.Mark Twain is reading his own classic American novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.Famous author with biting wit sits on bench by fountain in front of IHOP.
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Bronze nudes of Sergio Benvenuti’s Fountain of Two Oceans.
This blog post is long overdue. The interesting pics you see here have been sitting idle on my computer’s hard drive, accidentally forgotten.
I was astonished several months ago to see that the Fountain of Two Oceans sculpture in front of downtown’s Wells Fargo building had completely changed. For the last 30 years, the two bronze figures reclining in the fountain’s basin have looked exactly like…bronze. Then–poof–one day I noticed they’d turned white!
I’m not sure if that’s white paint, or what exactly. It seems the intent was to make the figures stand out more, and appear like marble. To my eye, however, the white coating makes them garish, black-eyed, and almost ghostly. At a distance they look bland and formless.
According to an internet search, The Fountain of Two Oceans was placed in downtown San Diego in 1984. The art, now a familiar San Diego landmark, was created by Sergio Benvenuti, a sculptor from Florence, Italy.
Fountain of Two Oceans sculpture is now white.White coating makes bronze sculpture seem ghostly.
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A short walk north of the Imperial Beach pier takes you to this delightful sculpture. The Spirit of Imperial Beach is 18 feet high and incorporates many fun elements. The sandcastle at its base and the child with a pail recall the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition, which used to be held yearly in Imperial Beach. (Several years ago the competition was replaced by the Sun and Sea Festival.)
Child rides a fish near the beach.Spirit of Imperial Beach by James A. Wasil.Crabs, shells, fish, sandcastle and girl with a pail.Closer look at amazing detail.Spirit of Imperial Beach sculpture is just north of the pier.
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I love this small bronze sculpture just in front of the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park. Because it stands inconspicuously in the seldom-visited northwest corner of the Plaza de Panama, few people ever wander over to look at it. Which is a shame.
This piece of art is titled Youth Taming the Wild (Horse Trainer) and was created by Anna Hyatt Huntington in 1927. She is also responsible for the huge, iconic El Cid statue near the center of the plaza, between the fountain and the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
I love the expressed energy in this work of art and the careful natural detail. One can see why this fine artist is considered one of the top equestrian sculptors.
Horse sculpture in northwest corner of Balboa Park central plaza.
