The Triton Pool- Saratoga Springs, NY - 2015
The Triton Pool - Now a little bit of Greek mythology: Tritons were the messengers of the sea, born of Poseidon (god of the sea) and Amphitrite. They had the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish. They created winds and waves at Poseidon's bidding by coming to the surface of the sea and blowing through a conch shell. The representations here are probably based upon a painting by Annibale Carracci, an early Baroque artist who resided in Italy. It is believed that they illustrate a story in which Triton was challenged to a contest by Misenus, the Trojan trumpeter for Aeneas. Triton promptly tossed Misenus into the sea for his arrogance. The statues were carved from Carrara marble by an unknown Italian artist and commissioned by Richard Canfield in 1902 and brought by him from Italy in 1905. The local residents affectionately refer to the Tritons as "Spit and Spat" due to their spewing water at each other. Notice the two Corinthian columns in the distance, behind the reflecting pool, they are said to guard the entrance to the inner garden where the Palladian Circle is located. The Triton statues and the reflecting pool are located in the Italian Gardens section of Congress Park with an entrance off Broadway in Saratoga Springs, NY. (SS/228)
The Triton Pool- Saratoga Springs, NY - 2015
The Triton Pool - Now a little bit of Greek mythology: Tritons were the messengers of the sea, born of Poseidon (god of the sea) and Amphitrite. They had the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish. They created winds and waves at Poseidon's bidding by coming to the surface of the sea and blowing through a conch shell. The representations here are probably based upon a painting by Annibale Carracci, an early Baroque artist who resided in Italy. It is believed that they illustrate a story in which Triton was challenged to a contest by Misenus, the Trojan trumpeter for Aeneas. Triton promptly tossed Misenus into the sea for his arrogance. The statues were carved from Carrara marble by an unknown Italian artist and commissioned by Richard Canfield in 1902 and brought by him from Italy in 1905. The local residents affectionately refer to the Tritons as "Spit and Spat" due to their spewing water at each other. Notice the two Corinthian columns in the distance, behind the reflecting pool, they are said to guard the entrance to the inner garden where the Palladian Circle is located. The Triton statues and the reflecting pool are located in the Italian Gardens section of Congress Park with an entrance off Broadway in Saratoga Springs, NY. (SS/228)