”Nature first, second, and third. Architecture after a while.” The creator of Bethesda Terrace (and co-creator of the park), Calvert Vaux, executed a master vision to combine nature, science, art, time, and love into “harmonious accord”. His innovative and grandiose desires were implemented masterfully with carvings created by Jacob Wrey Mould and an incredible fountain by Emma Stebbins, NYC’s first sculpture commissioned to a woman , in 1868. The rich and intricate legacy of this unrivaled masterpiece lives on today as one of New York’s most iconic landmarks, seen by countless visitors each year and appearing in numerous films and shows. ⠀
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I don’t believe I could ever do justice to their work, but “The Terrace” is my humble tribute to this piece of the park I admire so very much. I used a combination of Mould’s carvings as inspiration for the ornamental acanthus scrollwork grounding the base of the simple shield.