The ''Diana Fountain'', also known as ''Diana of the Treetops'', is a

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or Spring (hydrology), spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. ...

and

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

of Diana by Estcourt J Clack that stands in

Green Park Green Park, officially The Green Park, is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the southern part – the core part – of the City of Westminster, Central London, but before that zone was extended to the north, to take in Marylebo ...

. The park and statue are in the

City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and London boroughs, borough in Inner London. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It occupies a large area of cent ...

in central

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. The statue was a gift of the Constance Fund, which had been established by artist

Sigismund Goetze Sigismund Christian Hubert Goetze (24 October 1866 – 24 October 1939) was an English painter and philanthropist, born in London. Early life Goetze was the son of Rosina Hariet (née Bentley; d. 1877) and James D. Goetze (d. 1911). His sister ...

to gift sculptures to London parks in memory of his wife. Sigismund pre-deceased his wife in 1939 and she administered the Constance Fund until her death in 1951, commissioning a number of sculptures in his memory. Constance Goetze was approached by the Ministry of Works in April 1950 with a view to securing financial support from the Fund to replace a fountain in Green Park by

Sydney Smirke Sydney Smirke (20 December 1797 – 8 December 1877) was a British architect. Smirke who was born in London, England as the fifth son of painter Robert Smirke and his wife, Elizabeth Russell. He was the younger brother of Sir Robert Smirke ...

that was deemed beyond repair. Following an exchange of letters the Fund in June 1950 the fund agreed their support and a competition was organised with Sir William Reed Dick assisting the Fund in selecting a successful winner. Six sculptors took part in the competition:

Maurice Lambert Maurice Prosper Lambert RA (25 June 1901 – 17 August 1964) was a British sculptor. He was the son of the artist George Washington Lambert and the older brother of the composer and author Constant Lambert. Lambert is mostly known for his public ...

, Harold Dow,

Siegfried Charoux Siegfried Joseph Charoux (15 November 1896 – 26 April 1967) was an artist, primarily a figurative sculptor working in bronze, stone, or terracotta. Born in Austria, he moved to England in 1935, where he became naturalised in 1946. Early and ...

, Geoffrey Hampton Deeley, Escourt J.Clack and Hamish Macpherson. In October 1951 it was announced that Clack, a teacher at

Blundell's School Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school in the English public school tradition, located in Tiverton, Devon. It was founded in 1604 under the will of Peter Blundell, one of the richest men in England at the t ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, had won. The statue was presented to Sir David Eccles, the Minister of Works, by Constance's niece, Countess May Cippico, on behalf of the Fund on 30 June 1952. From 1952 until 2011, the statue stood in the centre of the park, on the site of the earlier fountain it had replaced. In 2011, Clack's statue was removed from that site, restored with the addition of some gilding and was then placed to form the centrepiece of a new entrance that gives direct access to the park from Green Park Underground station.

References

External links

* {{City of Westminster 1954 sculptures Drinking fountains in the United Kingdom Statues in London Buildings and structures in Green Park Sculptures of Artemis Sculptures of dogs