Art Lovers discussion

Ok, this may seem like a ridiculously tangential and longshot question, but here goes: Any Bernini fans out there know what type of dolphin he depicts in famous sculpture Fontana del Tritone (Triton Fountain) in Rome? Obviously not your typical Flipper bottlenose. Are his versions even remotely authentic? Been trying to track down various species online, but having no luck (and going blind in the process). Sorry, if I knew how, I'd post a pic of fountain. Here's a link, though: C:\Users\mcgohetw\Pictures\ArteRoma\Bernini-Fontana Tritone.jpg
The wide mouth with clownish thick lips and the scales make it resemble some form of monstrous carp more than a dolphin.
Why do I care? Well, I'm trying to write a personal essay about a small stone Bernini "fish" knockoff statue I took a photo of long ago in my Army days stationed in Vicenza, Italy, and I'd like to get this detail right. I don't suppose it's crucial, but I've become obssessed with finding out.

Tom wrote: "The wide mouth with clownish thick lips and the scales make it resemble some form of monstrous carp more than a dolphin.

I'm no expert on either Bernini or dolphins but I'd say you're right: it's no real dolphin but a heraldic representation dating from the middle ages.

Here is the footnote on the dolphins from the the Wikipedia article on the Fontana del Tritone:

"The dolphins are represented in their heraldic conventionalization, not as they appear in nature."

And from the Wikipedia article on Dolphin:

"Heraldry

Dolphins are sometimes used as symbols, for instance in heraldry. When heraldry developed in the Middle Ages, not much was known about the biology of the dolphin and it was often depicted as a sort of fish. Traditionally, the stylised dolphins in heraldry still may take after this notion, sometimes showing the dolphin skin covered with fish scales."

Indeed those fish scales on not too common on real dolphins'skin. ^.^

Ah, bless you, BP! This is enormously helpful. I had looked up the Wiki entry but missed that line re "heraldry," or just glossed over it, I guess. This info would appear to confirm that the stone fish I photo'd back in 70s was indeed designed as a commercial Bernini knockoff, something Italian consumers would have recognized, for it has same monstrous features. Thanks again, you've made my day!(oops, I see now that info was buried in a footnote, which I lazily ignored, but you, being the conscientious close reader, excavated). Let me return the favor, if indirectly, by recommending Marguerite Yourcenar title essay from her collection That Mighty Sculptor, Time. A must read for anyone interested in visual arts, especially sculpture.

I'd say they're certainly not meant to be one specific species - as well as heraldry, if I were you I'd also look into the related area of emblems, which were very popular in court culture in Bernini's time, and he definitely used similar printed material (as did an awful lot of other 17th century artists) - try something like this to see the background associations of dolphins. The link is about a pretty well known example of a dolphin twinned with an anchor, and part of the reason the two were twinned was their correspondence from coming from the sea... so the use of dolphins on a fountain (water) could also be linked in a similar way.

You could also look into della Porta's physiognomy et al but to the best of my knowledge he doesn't reference dolphins.

Hope that helps!

Thanks, Rebecca. I'll check out this site pronto.
This image of dolphin and anchor, as I recall, is emblem of a fairly major publishing house. I know I've seen it in some books, probably some on my shelf right now. (feeling another obssessive urge to spend rest of day riffling through my shelves ...)

Hmm oh yeah, I hadn't thought of the Doubleday publishing link. Not sure why they want an emblem meaning "make haste slowly" as their logo... Or maybe it's a complete coincidence!

I am a huge fan of Bernini. I didn't know any of this, nor did I really contemplate the type of dolphin in the Fontana del Tritone.I feel that I missed out by not knowing this recent information when I went to Rome.

I think my original observation and thought was that the dolphins were a type of mythical representation since Triton was a mythical figure. Thank you all for enlightening me, this is just yet another reason I need to get back to Italy!

Tom wrote: "Ah, bless you, BP! This is enormously helpful. I had looked up the Wiki entry but missed that line re "heraldry," or just glossed over it, I guess. This info would appear to confirm that the st..."

My pleasure, Tom. Your question piqued my curiosity! Thank you for the "reward." I'm going to have a solid collection of essays on art thanks to you. :)

Interesting sidebar: apparently the Greeks were quite familir with dolphin physiognomy, at least according to pottery paintings depicting mythical story of Dionysus transforming kidnapping pirates into dolphins -- typical bottlenose species.

Sidebar2: Simon Schama has a wonderful episode on Bernini in his marvelous BBC series The Power of Art (dvd available). I revisited it last night. What a tempestuous fellow: had face of his mistress, Costanza, slashed for sleeping with his brother Luigi. Never mind that C. was wife of one of B's studio assistants and that he had immortalized her in bust he kept on display at home -- until his new bride had it boxed up and shipped off. Sarah McPhee has book about herBernini's Beloved: A Portrait of Costanza Piccolomini

Thank you, Tom. Sounds really interesting! I added it to my TBR shelf.

I love that Simon Schama series. He's not at all dispassionate and I enjoy being pulled in to his story. He brings history to life.
Tom wrote: "Sidebar2: Simon Schama has a wonderful episode on Bernini in his marvelous BBC series The Power of Art (dvd available). I revisited it last night. What a tempestuous fellow: had face of his mistr..."

Dvora wrote: "I love that Simon Schama series. He's not at all dispassionate and I enjoy being pulled in to his story. He brings history to life.
Tom wrote: "Sidebar2: Simon Schama has a wonderful episode on..."

SS has this unique talent for mixing enthusiasm and admiration with cheekiness. I could listen to the man talk about anything, I think.

He did a series on Jewish history this season on the BBC. It was truly marvelous.

Ah, good to know, Dvora. I knew he'd come out with new book on this topic, and was wondering if a tv series would accompany it. The book got somewhat mixed review, at least from the one I read -- NYer? NYT? -- but I'll gladly watch it anyway when it comes out on disc.

Been reading Howard Hibbard's excellent critical bio Bernini, which includes a glowing critique of the Triton Fountain. Re dolphins, HH says they "symbolized princely benefaction," and that the entire sculpture "emerges not only as a personal allusion [to Pope Urban VIII, B's patron, who fancied himself a serious Latin poet well-versed in Classical Lit, like Ovid's Metamorphoses, the source of Triton story]but also as a symbol of enlightenend papal government under divine guidance." (112) HH describes the work "as hauntingly evocative an image as his restless mind ever created. ... Bernini's Triton will always be THE fountain." So, he really likes it.