Fountain at the Villa Panfili, Italy 1752

Stephen Riou rendered this drawing of the Fountain at the Villa Panfili in 1759. The prominent seashell motif, centrally placed, immediately connects us to ancient symbols of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, born from the sea. This motif echoes through time, appearing in Renaissance paintings and Roman sculptures, each era layering its own understanding onto this primal image. Think of Botticelli's Venus—the seashell is not merely a detail but a vessel of divine birth and renewal. The dolphins below further enhance this connection to the sea, symbolizing guidance, transformation, and salvation. The recurrence of these symbols suggests a deep, subconscious yearning for the nurturing embrace of the maternal sea. This fountain, therefore, is not just a source of water but a fount of collective memory, a place where the past continually springs to life, inviting us to reflect on the timeless dance of birth, death, and rebirth.