Boy and Frog Fountain

The Boy and Frog Fountain is an original piece crafted by Italian artist Raffaello Romanelli (1856-1928). It was purchased by John C. Taylor from Romanelli Studios in Florence, Italy in 1928. This whimsical fountain features a small marble basin with bronze figures of a frog shooting water at a nude boy. The basin is held up by a faun atop a dolphin and overflows into a round pool inlaid with pieces of colorful tile. It was installed on the Plaza in 1929 but has since been relocated from its original location.

This whimsical fountain features bronze figures of a boy and a frog in an orange veined marble basin. The nude boy holds his hands up in delight as he frolics in a spout of water that shoots from the frog's mouth. The marble basin is held up by a bronze faun sitting on top of a dolphin, with a rather mischievous look on his face. The fountain overflows into a round pool with pieces of colorful tile inlaid in the bottom. The artwork was purchased from Romanelli Studios in Florence, Italy in 1928 by John C. Taylor, who was the Chairman of the Board for the J.C. Nichols Company. It was installed on the Plaza at 47th and Central Street in 1929, but was relocated to its current location years later. It also appears that the frog has been replaced, as the position of its legs differ from historical photos. 

Artist Raffaello Romanelli was born in Florence, Italy on May 13, 1856. At a young age, Raffaello acquired skills in drafting at his fathers studio, and at age 14 enrolled himself into the Academy of Fine Art. While studying, he continued to work with his father and learned the skill of sculpting marble. At age 20, he won the Academy’s annual prize in sculpture for a bas-relief, leading to a scholarship in Rome. When his father passed away in 1887, he took over the family studio, completed his fathers unfinished work and started creating marble portraits of distinguished individuals. By 1890, Romanelli reached international fame and started receiving commissions for grand monuments around the world. Throughout the years, he also created smaller works of various subjects, including religious figures, allegory, and animals. It is thought that he created more than 2300 works throughout his career. Raffaello died in 1928, passing on the studio to his son. 

Country Club Plaza developer J.C. Nichols was so much an admirer of Romanelli, that he named one of his 1925 residential developments south of the Plaza in his honor - Romanelli Gardens. The neighborhood features an array of statues and fountains.

Boy and Frog, City of Fountains. Accessed January 13th 2022. https://cityoffountains.org/boy-and-frog/.

Fountain on Central Street at 47th Street, Missouri Valley Special Collections. Accessed January 13th 2022. https://kchistory.org/image/fountain-central-street-47th-street?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=07dc229b08d8bf0cfb4d&solr_nav%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=0.

About Us: Raffaello Romanelli (1856-1928), Galleria Romanelli. Accessed January 13th 2022. https://www.raffaelloromanelli.com/en/about-us/founders/raffaello-romanelli/.