Syrinx (Wolter)
Encyclopedia
Syrinx is a public artwork by German-born American
sculptor Adolph Wolter
located at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza
in Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
.
figure of Syrinx
sitting on a limestone
tree stump. Syrinx is nude, and her proper right knee is bent upwards to her chest with her other leg hanging over the side of the stump. She holds her hand to her ear, cupping it, "listening" to the music of the nearby sculpture of the satyr
Pan
, who plays a flute.
created Syrinx and Pan for installation at University Park at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza. Eventually, both pieces were stolen, with Syrinx disappearing in 1959 and Pan being stolen in 1970. The parks department commissioned Adolph Wolter
to replace the pieces, and in 1973 they were reinstalled in their current location in University Park at the Plaza.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sculptor Adolph Wolter
Adolph Wolter
Adolph Gustav Wolter van R Wolter German born American sculptor, educator and carver. Wolter was born in Reutlingen, Germany. His father was a stone carver and Wolter apprenticed with him before enrolling in the Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart. In 1922 he immigrated to the United States...
located at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza
Indiana World War Memorial Plaza
The Indiana World War Memorial Plaza is an urban feature located in Indianapolis, Indiana, originally built to honor the veterans of World War I. The five-city-block plaza was conceived in 1919 as a location for the national headquarters of the American Legion and a memorial to the state's and...
in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Description
It is a bronzeBronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
figure of Syrinx
Syrinx
In classical mythology, Syrinx was a nymph and a follower of Artemis, known for her chastity. Pursued by the amorous Greek god Pan, she ran to the river's edge and asked for assistance from the river nymphs. In answer, she was transformed into hollow water reeds that made a haunting sound when...
sitting on a limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
tree stump. Syrinx is nude, and her proper right knee is bent upwards to her chest with her other leg hanging over the side of the stump. She holds her hand to her ear, cupping it, "listening" to the music of the nearby sculpture of the satyr
Satyr
In Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
Pan
Pan (White)
Pan is a public artwork by sculptor Roger White located at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. This work was originally surveyed in 1993 as part of the Smithsonian's Save Outdoor Sculpture! program...
, who plays a flute.
Information
In 1923 Myra Reynolds RichardsMyra Reynolds Richards
Myra Reynolds Richards American sculptor and teacher born in Indianapolis, Indiana. She studied at the Herron Art Institute in Indianapolis with J. Ottis Adams, Helene Hibben, Rudolf Schwarz, and George Julian Zolnay...
created Syrinx and Pan for installation at University Park at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza. Eventually, both pieces were stolen, with Syrinx disappearing in 1959 and Pan being stolen in 1970. The parks department commissioned Adolph Wolter
Adolph Wolter
Adolph Gustav Wolter van R Wolter German born American sculptor, educator and carver. Wolter was born in Reutlingen, Germany. His father was a stone carver and Wolter apprenticed with him before enrolling in the Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart. In 1922 he immigrated to the United States...
to replace the pieces, and in 1973 they were reinstalled in their current location in University Park at the Plaza.