Paris Gallery:
Fontaines Richard Wallace
Paris Kiosque - May 2003 - Volume 10, Number 5
Copyright (c) 2003 Norman Barth - Used with permission.
The fontaines Richard Wallace are to be found throughout the city of Paris.
Not surprisingly, they were originally proposed by Sir Richard Wallace, an Englishman
in 1871, shortly after the uprising known as the Commune.
The first Fontainte Wallace, as they are known, was opened in September of 1871
on the boulevard de la Villette. Newspaper accounts at the time spoke of a near riot
taking place as everyone wanted to be the first to drink from the fountain.
Yes, these are drinking fountains. The four greek figures holding up a small "roof" from
which comes the stream of water are seperated a their base by a small grill. This grill,
and the space between the figures, is designed to allow for the placement of a pitcher
in the stream of water from above. Obviously a great boon to the neighborhood when
there might not have been running water in all of the houses, or when much of the water
might not have been potable.
The nymphes holding up the the canopy, are inspired by the figures of Jean Goujon
used in the Fontaine des Innocents in Les Halles.
Chalres-Auguste Lebourg (1829 - 1906) actually designed the figures and the entire
fountain.
There are now about 110 Fontaines Wallace around Paris - including
16 built for placement in/next-to walls.
Norman Barth is the editor of
the Paris Kiosque, and webmaster/creator of The Paris Pages.
Paris Gallery appears occasionally in the Paris Kiosque and is
dedicated to short pieces with documentary value about the City.
Norman can be contacted at nbarth@paris.org.
