The work of art comprises two major figures: a reclining Pan, the Greek god of the wild, shepherds, and flocks, and above him a female singer playing a lyre. From crevices along the fountain's rim four turtles spew water into the basin. An inscription on the pedestal reads, "A Song of Nature, Pan the Earth God Answers to the Harmony and Magic Tones Sung to the Lyre by Sweet Humanity." The basin of the fountain is 15 feet high, above which the figures rise another 15 feet.
The fountain honors Mary Schenley, a major philanthropist to the city of Pittsburgh. In 1889, after intensive lobbying by Edward Manning Bigelow, director of parks for the City of Pittsburgh, Schenley donated the land for the park named in her honor. Upon her death in 1903, Pittsburgh City Council sponsored a national competition for the memorial. The judges selected the design by Brenner, who is famous for his design of the still-circulating Lincoln cent.
In June 2008, restoration efforts were begun that included repairs, cleaning, plumbing, paving, and landscaping. A gift from the Benter Foundation will provide lighting for the fountain and plaza.[3]
References
Gay, Vernon and Marilyn Evert (1983). Discovering Pittsburgh's Sculpture. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. ISBN0-8229-3467-1.
