Fountain of Bacchus (Pan and the Nymphs Fountain)

The Fountain of Bacchus, historically known as the Pan and the Nymphs Fountain, depicts the ancient God surrounded by nymphs courting him in the garden. Weighing in at nearly five tons and standing 13 feet tall, the lead sculpture is centered in the fountain’s quatrefoil-shaped base with circular and bubbling water features surrounding it. The large work of art was designed by Walter Gilbert, founder of Bromsgrove Guild of Warwickshire, England in the mid 1910s for Moreton Paddox, the home of British Major Robert Emmet. It was purchased in 1960 by Miller Nichols but, due to its size, was stored in several pieces for many years. It was installed and dedicated to the Country Club Plaza in 1967.

The Fountain of Bacchus, historically known as the Pan and the Nymphs Fountain, was designed in the mid 1910s by Walter Gilbert, founder of the Bromsgrove Guild of Warwickshire, England. The lead sculpture is massive in size, standing 13 feet tall and 14 feet long and weighs nearly ten thousand pounds. The main, center figure depicts the Greek God Pan, some dispute it is Roman God Bacchus, looking down on nymphs as they court him in the garden while entwined in grapevines, offering shells, flowers and pine branches. Gilbert describes the statue as: 

“Pan the great god of the countryside (the atmosphere) being courted by the Nymphs of the Gardens, the Orchards, the Streams and the Woods. Pan looks down rather cynically because he knows that the nymphs do not always fulfil their promises. The gardens do not always flower, the streams run dry, the orchards bear no fruits and the trees without shade” 

Walter Gilbert (1871-1946), born in Rugby, Warwickshire, was a sculptor, metalworker, designer, teacher and writer. He studied and taught throughout Europe for many years and founded the Bromsgrove Guild in 1898. In the early 1900s he partnered with sculptor and metalworker Louis Weingartner, creating the famous gates at Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Memorial, in addition to the Pan and the Nymphs Fountain.

Gilbert originally designed the statue for the Moreton Paddox estate of British Major Robert Emmet (1871-1955). Emmet was born in Charlottesville, Virginia and studied at Harvard before marrying his wife Louise Garland in 1896. They moved to England in 1904 and built a Jacobethan home in Warwickshire, England, known as the Moreton Paddox, in 1909. With the onset of World War I, Emmet renounced his American citizenship to enlist as a British soldier. Emmet gave his home to the government and, using his own funds, converted it into a convalescent hospital. He served for many years and earned a Distinguished Service Order before returning home in 1919. The Pan and the Nymphs statue was created and installed in the grand gardens as the center of a fountain. Moreton Paddox was demolished in 1959.

In 1960, the massive lead artwork was purchased and brought to Kansas City by Miller Nichols, son of real estate and Country Club Plaza developer J. C. Nichols and European art enthusiast. Because of its size, it was stored in several pieces for many years before being installed and dedicated to the Country Club Plaza in 1967. Pan and his nymphs are the centerpiece in the fountain's quatrefoil-shaped base, which also features a circular water ring on each side and a line of bubblers in the front and back. 

Bromsgrove Guild also designed other works seen on the Plaza, including Neptune Fountain and Diana Fountain.

Medhurst, Phillip. Romance in Metalwork, Internet Archive. September 9th 2012. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://archive.org/stream/Walter_Gilbert/Walter%20Gilbert_djvu.txt.

Walter Gilbert, Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib4_1217252088.

Meredith, Mark. Robert Griswold Emmet, House Histree. August 6th 2021. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://househistree.com/people/robert-griswold-emmet.

Fountain of Bacchus, City of Fountains. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://cityoffountains.org/fountain-of-bacchus/.

Moreton Paddox, The Dicamillo. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://www.thedicamillo.com/house/moreton-paddox/.