St Fiacre along a quiet path in East Falls. The spirit of gardening patiently awaiting spring thaw.

#garden #nature #philadelphia #sonyrx100

Happily stumbled upon in Philadelphia’s Wissahickon Park - the city’s very first (known) public water fountain, 1854. Inscribed “Pro bono publico // Esto perpetua” or “For the public good // May it remain forever.” The artifact may remain, but its fountain was blocked off in 1957 due to pollution.

#philadelphia #history #nature #sonyrx100

The William Leonidas fountain (1899) along the Wissahickon Creek, Philadelphia.

Built to provide healthy water for man and steed, each is a symbol of pride from civic days gone by. This catfish in a fearsome baroque style guards the Wissahickon (or Catfish Creek). While abandoned, these fountains have lasted far longer than the Temperance Movement that inspired them.

#philadelphia #art #architecture #sonyrx100

Two wild birds spotted in Augsburg, October.

On the griffon, Borges is coy. They may signify Christ, the Devil, or a pope. One reputable report notes that they are quite common in Bactria.

On mallards, Sibley writes that they are the most common of all ducks, though their domestic variants may cause confusion.

#augsburg #germany #birding #nature #sonyrx100

Rodin’s “The Age of Bronze” (ca. 1875) at Berlin’s Alte Nationalgalerie.

The beauty is in the detail, especially the figure’s fine gestures. Poised at the moment of awakening (and earlier titled “the Awakening Man”), his lips part slightly and his eyes hover at the moment of opening. He stretches at the threshold between sleep and consciousness.

I especially like what material does here. The sculpture exists in the dozens, some marble, others more familiar dark bronze. This green-patinated bronze feels more approachable, allowing the light to play more delicately across his features.

#art #berlin #rodin #sculpture #sonyrx100