The bronze figures of the tritons surrounding this fountain were once a source of public controversy. When the work was inaugurated in Halmstad on 7 November 1926, many locals protested the nudity of the mythological sea creatures.
Artist Carl Milles created the fountain to depict a scene from mythology: Zeus, assuming the form of a bull, abducting the princess Europa. The sculpture was made possible by a 1919 donation from the wholesaler Jacob Jacobsson, who provided the funds for the city to commission Milles.
While the fountain is located in the town square, its reach extends much further. A full replica sits at Millesgården on Lidingö, while the central figures of the bull and Europa are located at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Today, the sculpture remains a permanent fixture of Stora Torg. It underwent a full restoration between 2015 and 2016, which included removing discoloration and pollution, installing a new lighting system, and installing a number of new spray nozzles.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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