Bethesda Fountain
The Bethesda Fountain is the only sculpture commissioned as part of the original design of the Park. Emma Stebbins, the sister of then President of the Central Park Board of Commissioners, was the first woman to receive a commission for a major public work in New York City. The sculpture she produced, dedicated in 1873, symbolically blesses the water of the fountain with one hand; the other carries a lily, the symbol of purity. The fountain celebrated the opening of the Croton Aqueduct, which brought fresh water to New York in 1842. More information can be found on the official website of Central Park.