Crown jewel of Central Park

Bethesda Fountain: - The Angel Of The Waters

The definitive crown jewel of Central Park. Bethesda Fountain is one of the most famous and universally loved fountains in the world. The centerpiece of the"Angel of the Waters" was designed by Emma Stebbins and the only sculpture commissioned as part of the original design of the Park naming her the first woman to receive a commission for a major work of art in New York City. This neoclassical winged female figure symbolizes and celebrates the purifying of the city’s water supply when the Croton Aqueduct opened in 1842 bringing fresh water to all New Yorkers. She carries a lily in one hand which symbolized purity while her other hand extends outward as she blesses the water below. Beneath the eight-foot gilded bronze statue are four smaller four-foot figures symbolizing Temperance,
Purity, Health, and Peace.


There were few tourist taking pictorials with their models I saw when we were there. This is one of the most visited area in Central Park. You can also see this part of the Central Park in some movies taken in New York City.