gods of cincinnati
Three Cincinnati residents modeled for our three Cincinnati deities: Diana, Goddess of the (pig) Hunt (in Burnett Woods), Atlas, Titan who holds up the heavens (or rather, a globe representing the punishments of alcoholism versus the rewards of temperance), and Venus, Goddess of Love (birthed in a claw bathtub in a Northside residence, surrounded by lard soaps, and candles). Inspired by the commission's location, an upscale restaurant in a former Art Deco bank in Cincinnati's historic Walnut Hills neighborhood, we wanted to represent Cincinati's notorious history with food and drink, having been settled by Germans who developed their beer-making skills into a city-wide thriving industry, to the chagrin of the Temperance movement also taking root in the city. Cincinnati is also known for pork processing (nickname Porkopolis), and its spinoff hygiene industry. Proctor and Gamble originally created soap and candles from rendered pork lard.
