L2

Edward Hodges Baily (1788-1867) was born in Downend in Bristol. He made Eve at the Fountain at the age of 34, and the work brought him fame. He is now best known for his statue of Lord Nelson on top of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, London. Eve at the Fountain is carved in marble and shows the influence of the classical female nude. It illustrates a line in John Milton's poem Paradise Lost, where Eve sees her own face reflected in water, referring to vanity.

L2, Eve at the Fountain, by E H Baily (image/tiff)
Acknowledgement: ©Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives Acknowledgement: ©Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives Acknowledgement: ©Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives Acknowledgement: ©Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives Acknowledgement: ©Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives Acknowledgement: ©Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives

Summary

: L2

: Fine Art

: sculpture

: Eve at the Fountain

: BAILY, Edward Hodges

: a marble sculpture, showing: Eve at the Fountain, which is regarded as Baily's most celebrated sculpture; the subject comes from Milton's 'Paradise Lost', where Eve sees her own reflection in a lake for the first time, is surprised and wants to look at herself again: ‘As I bent to look,just opposite, A shape within the watery gleam appeared Bending to look on me. I started back, It started back; but pleased I soon returned, Pleased it returned with answering looks Of sympathy and love’ Paradise Lost by John Milton, Book IV lines 460-64

L2

The Female Nude

Current Location

On Display at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Wills (Rear) Hall

: City of Bristol Collection

: 1822

: [Thesis] Jordan, Caroline P. 2007. Edward Hodges Baily (1788-1867) and the notion of poetic sculpture c.1800-1845.

: Purchased partly by public subscription and presented to the Bristol Institution, Park Street (forerunner of this museum) in 1826.

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