A handwritten document, dated from May 2, 1653, from Innocent showed that he was finally happy with the fountain and asked for an additional 500 scudi to have more work done to the fountain. He asked that the snail be removed from the center and replaced by another fountain.
The pope wanted a fountain that would stand out and be very notable among the Tritons. We believe the fountain never really got out of its current state due to the large tritons and fish that surrounded the fountains. Already being a large fountain, it was difficult to create an additional sculpture that would take over these creatures. The snail was still removed and in May 1653, the Pope accented the newest model.
Constructed out of marble, and a very large piece, the fountain was very powerful statue. Created between 1653 and the following year, December, by Giovanni Antinio Mari in Bernini’s own house. Bernini wanted to be able to keep a close eye on the fountain because he was the one who had initially created the fountain.
In the end, a muscular Triton, stood atop a shell struggling to hold onto a dolphin that was trying to go through his legs. This energetic sculptor was a new creation for Bernini and worked very well. The dolphin itself is suffocating, with eyes popping out of the sockets and it is trying to become free.
