Page 29 - cn - fg- The Assembly of Time - Studio Brochure - flickbook e- presentation_Neat

The south terrace fountain and statues depicted in the painting are in fact part of a separate
fountain grouping situated on the north terrace. They were at one time a complete assem-
bly made for the ducal palace at Colorno near Parma by Giuliano Mozani around 1700. In
this south terrace arrangement, the centre piece statues are of Pluto in the act of seizing
Proserpina and kidnapping her in order to force her to be queen of the underworld of
Hades. Pluto is attended by mer people and sea horses.
The “Alter Realist” approach to the subject elaborates on the narrative and accentuates the
attempt by Pluto. The water of the pool and jets of spray create a dynamism of energy and
tension. The background of the Parterre is abstracted and made non-defined in order to
focus on the two main characters actions. Colours are dashed on the water surface to give
the sense of the living world that exists above Hades as Prosperina is being dragged down
beneath the dark waters.
Whilst mer people present an outer calm, the jets of water become a distraction to the out-
er world.

139402 The Parterre Fountain
481/16 x 481/8 inches -o/c

Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire.