The Angel of the Waters (1873), commonly referred to simply as the Bethesda Fountain, was one of the first large-scale public sculptures by a female artist. Green-Wood resident Emma Stebbins (1815-1882) designed the sculpture for Bethesda Terrace in New York City’s Central Park. Unveiled in 1873, the sculpture depicts the biblical story of an angel who came upon the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, stirring the water and imbuing it with healing powers. Click the image to expand.