Orpheus' well, Fountain and artwork in Hötorget, Stockholm, Sweden.
Orpheus' Well is a bronze fountain and work of art placed in Hötorget square, in the Norrmalm district of Stockholm. The central figure shows the mythological musician playing a lyre, with wild animals arranged around him at the base of the composition.
The Swedish sculptor Carl Milles created this bronze work in the early twentieth century, with the casting carried out by the Herman Bergman Konstgjuteri workshop. It was placed in Hötorget in 1936, shortly after the square was redesigned.
The name comes from Greek mythology, where Orpheus was said to charm wild animals with his lyre. Anyone standing close to the sculpture can see this story told directly in stone and bronze, with animals gathered around the musician.
The fountain stands in the open center of Hötorget and can be approached from any side of the square. Because the square hosts a busy outdoor market on most days, visiting in the morning tends to offer a quieter look at the sculpture.
Carl Milles spent many years working in the United States and became widely known there, yet this fountain was made for his home city of Stockholm. It remains one of the few large public works he created specifically for a Swedish square.
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