Father Rhine and His Daughters - Free Audio Guide

"Vater Rhein und seine Töchter" is a neobaroque fountain sculpture in Düsseldorf-Unterbilk, created by Karl Janssen and Josef Tüshaus and unveiled on 7 March 1897. Originating from a plaster ensemble made for an 1884 provincial celebration and later cast in bronze, it is an allegory of the Rhine and the Prussian Rhine Province, and an example of Rhine Romanticism rooted in Romanticism, Historicism and Wilhelminian style. The composition shows Father Rhine atop a rock, surrounded by four female figures and playful putti; at his feet lies a dragon guarding the Rheingold, symbolized by an imperial crown and sword. The "daughters" personify tributaries and also reference painting and industry; the rear reliefs depict agriculture, viticulture and fishing. The group stands on an exedra projecting into the Kaiserteich before the Ständehaus, with a granite basin, waterspouting fish and shells. As a public outdoor monument it reflects local artistic traditions and industrial history and is generally viewable without admission.