Fountain Panel 1871

Thomas Jeckyll made this fountain panel of cast iron. Jeckyll was an architect and designer with a keen interest in Japanese art. The panel is divided into sections depicting aquatic life, such as fish, reeds, and water lilies. Jeckyll has captured the rippling water and the movement of the fish through a careful orchestration of relief. Cast iron is an industrial material, yet here, it's been used to achieve an artistic effect. The labor required to make something like this is intensive, involving pattern-making, molding, casting, and finishing. Cast iron was a signature material of the Victorian era, used for everything from bridges to garden furniture. Jeckyll's panel sits at the intersection of art, craft, and industry, and reminds us that even the most functional of materials can be elevated to create something beautiful. It is a reminder of how important material choice and process are to understanding an artwork's full meaning.