Earth Receiving the Rain

The figure of earth shown beckoning the waters from the fountain to come and nourish her. One of her arms is gently outstretched and welcoming, while the other cradles a basin of water. Her hair is braided into a crown, suggesting her dominion. A cloak draped over her arms droops down under her seat. She is kneeling on a dome decorated with pine cones and brush, form which a rabbit and squirrels emerge. One pine branch rises out of the dome and into her outstretched hand. Her healthy body and ample bosom suggest the fertility of the Earth and the protection the Earth provides as a caregiver-- a fitting theme for the rejuvenating garden space the sculpture occupies. Early models for the piece show her head pointing downward, towards the viewer, and her hair falling loosely over her back. This design was abandoned in favor of the design we see today, where her face is up and out, illuminated by the sun during the day, and her hair is done up in a style that echoes women's hair in Classical Greek sculpture. The base is carved with a relief of growing grain and sun rays.

The Earth Receiving the Rain is one of a pair of Bronze sculptures in the garden, the other being the crouching figure of The Sun Drawing the Waters.