Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 406 C I T Y O F C O R P U S C H R I S T I , T E X A S P U B L I C A R T C O L L E C T I O N QUEEN OF THE SEA Artist: Pompeo Coppini (San Antonio, TX | Deceased) Type: Bas-relief sculpture and fountain Materials: cast concrete with mica flakes bakelite to simulate granite. reinforced concrete Size: 17 x 13.6 feet Location: 600 N. Lower Broadway St; 78401, Bluff Balustrade Cost: $500 Year: 1914 Commission: Corpus Christi Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Donation: Proceeds of the December 7, 1914 issues of the Caller Times and the Daily Herald Corpus Christi’s first public work of art, begun in 1914 and completed in 1918, grew out of the “City Beautiful Movement” of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The bas-relief serves as a backdrop for a concrete fountain and pool. This structure, a part of the Broadway Bluff Improvements Program, includes massive staircases and balustrades. In 1988, this area was designated as a National Historic Place by the National Park Service. It is dedicated to the noble Texans who gave their lives for the South during the Civil War. The bas-relief depicts the classically dressed figures of Father Neptune and Mother Earth crowning a youthful Maiden who represents the City of Corpus Christi. The Maiden, Corpus Christi, holds a bouquet in her right arm and the keys to success in her left. Beside Father Neptune’s right leg is a dolphin. In the background, a square-sailed ship sails into Corpus Christi Bay. On the opposite side, a plowman tills the soil and heaps the gift of the land at Mother Earth’s feet. At the feet of the Maiden is an anvil and an industrial gear, a Rotary Club symbol, referring to the artist’s belief in the value of civic service. This allegorical group illustrates in a true artistic language, the meeting of the two elements, land and sea, and the rich gifts which they bring to the city. There is an ancient oak tree in the background, while nearer in the foreground there are harvests and emblems of the newer era and the prophecies of progress. A stream of clear water springs from a rocky cliff, reminiscent of the artesian spring that was once a fresh water source downtown in the area that is now Artesian Park. The Sculpture’s overall theme is peace, which reflected Pompeo Coppini’s abhorrence of war. 1.