Cherubs Playing with a Lyre

Pierre Legros I

National Gallery of Art

This is a large fountain featuring two cherubic children with curly hair. They sit on opposite sides of a solid harp-shaped object, holding it with their hands. The object has two small goat heads on its top corners and a small face on the bottom with rays emanating from it. The cherubs and the object sit on carved leaves on top of a round scalloped platform, under which is the column-shaped base of the fountain. Around this base is a shallow pool of water. The sculpture is mainly a light gray color with rusty red and yellow discoloration in some areas. The cherubs' wings are golden. Surrounding the sculpture are white lilies, and the background shows classical architecture with grand columns and draped curtains.