Sculptor Jussi Mäntynen’s long-necked birds, including swans and cranes, are among the artist’s decorative animal sculptures. The fountain sculpture The Swans depicts three birds taking flight. In both its composition and sculptural expression, the work is lighter and airier than many of the large mammals characteristic of the artist’s earlier work.

Mäntynen, who also worked as a conservator, did not seek scientific precision in every detail of his sculptures. Instead, he wished to capture the distinctive character of each species and convey an impression of the animals’ natural movements and behaviour.