Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons
Encyclopedia
The Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons (Fountain of the four seasons) is a monumental 18th-century public fountain
, at 57-59 rue de Grenelle in the 7th arrondissement of Paris
, France
. It was executed by Edme Bouchardon
, royal sculptor of King Louis XV
(ruled 1715–1774), and opened in 1745. The fountain is huge and richly decorated, but it had only two water spouts, and its grand scale on the narrow street, together with the lack of water, irritated Voltaire
and other figures of the French Enlightenment. The fountain is the best surviving example in Paris of the public architecture of the reign of Louis XV.
area, which was rapidly growing. They first discussed placing it at the corner of rue de Bac and the rue de l'Universite, then rue Saint-Dominique, and finally decided on it current site on rue de Grenelle, on a parcel of land owned by the convent of Récollettes. The project was approved by the Prevot des Marchands, the leader of the city's businessmen, Michel-Étienne Turgot
, who shared authority for all fountains and water projects in Paris, and was given to the Royal sculptor, Edme Bouchardon, in 1739, for completion. Bouchardon worked seven years on the project. He displayed the plaster models for the central group of sculptures at the Salon du Louvre in 1740, and the bas-reliefs in 1741. The fountain was not completely finished until 1745.
The fountain had a double purpose; to provide water to Parisians, and to advertise the benevolence of King Louis XV to the people of Paris. The King's principal minister and political counselor, the Cardinal de Fleury, personally wrote the inscription which was placed on the facade of the fountain, in Latin, in gold letters engraved in black marble:
While the fountain had an abundance of statuary, it did not produce very much water. Only one aqueduct brought water to the Left Bank at the time, the aqueduct de Arcueil, which brought water to the left bank from Rungis
. The water flowed to the Fontaine Saint-Michel, then by a secondary pipe to the Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons. The water was stored in the upper part of the fountain, and flowed by gravity down to two spouts in form of lion's heads, from which water flowed continually. The water was collected in vessels by local residents, or by water porters (porteurs d'eau) who carried the water to other parts of the quarter and sold it to the inhabitants.
After the fountain was built, there were many calls for it to be moved to a large square where it would be more visible and proportional to its surroundings, but, given the many reconstructions of Paris squares in the 19th and 20th century, it probably survived intact only because of its obscure location.
in the French Encyclopedia
of 1765.
The project, however, and its massive scale on the narrow street, was criticized by Voltaire
in a letter to the Count de Caylus in 1739, as the fountain was still under construction:
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
, at 57-59 rue de Grenelle in the 7th arrondissement of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It was executed by Edme Bouchardon
Edmé Bouchardon
Edmé Bouchardon was a French sculptor, esteemed in his day as the greatest sculptor of his time and valued as a draughtsman as well.-Biography:...
, royal sculptor of King Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
(ruled 1715–1774), and opened in 1745. The fountain is huge and richly decorated, but it had only two water spouts, and its grand scale on the narrow street, together with the lack of water, irritated Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
and other figures of the French Enlightenment. The fountain is the best surviving example in Paris of the public architecture of the reign of Louis XV.
History
The Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons was the largest and most ornate of the thirty fountains built in Paris in the 18th century to provide drinking water to the city's residents. Between 1715 and 1724, the Conseil d'Etat of King Louis XV began discussing the idea of a new fountain in the Faubourg Saint-GermainFaubourg Saint-Germain
The Faubourg Saint Germain is an historic district of Paris. The Faubourg has long been known as the favorite home of the French high nobility and hosts many aristocratic Hôtels particuliers...
area, which was rapidly growing. They first discussed placing it at the corner of rue de Bac and the rue de l'Universite, then rue Saint-Dominique, and finally decided on it current site on rue de Grenelle, on a parcel of land owned by the convent of Récollettes. The project was approved by the Prevot des Marchands, the leader of the city's businessmen, Michel-Étienne Turgot
Michel-Étienne Turgot
Michel-Étienne Turgot was prévôt des marchands de Paris from 1729 to 1740...
, who shared authority for all fountains and water projects in Paris, and was given to the Royal sculptor, Edme Bouchardon, in 1739, for completion. Bouchardon worked seven years on the project. He displayed the plaster models for the central group of sculptures at the Salon du Louvre in 1740, and the bas-reliefs in 1741. The fountain was not completely finished until 1745.
The fountain had a double purpose; to provide water to Parisians, and to advertise the benevolence of King Louis XV to the people of Paris. The King's principal minister and political counselor, the Cardinal de Fleury, personally wrote the inscription which was placed on the facade of the fountain, in Latin, in gold letters engraved in black marble:
While the fountain had an abundance of statuary, it did not produce very much water. Only one aqueduct brought water to the Left Bank at the time, the aqueduct de Arcueil, which brought water to the left bank from Rungis
Rungis
Rungis is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France, in the département of Val-de-Marne.It is best known as the location of the large wholesale food market serving the Paris metropolitan area and beyond, the Marché d'Intérêt National de Rungis, said to be the largest food market in the...
. The water flowed to the Fontaine Saint-Michel, then by a secondary pipe to the Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons. The water was stored in the upper part of the fountain, and flowed by gravity down to two spouts in form of lion's heads, from which water flowed continually. The water was collected in vessels by local residents, or by water porters (porteurs d'eau) who carried the water to other parts of the quarter and sold it to the inhabitants.
After the fountain was built, there were many calls for it to be moved to a large square where it would be more visible and proportional to its surroundings, but, given the many reconstructions of Paris squares in the 19th and 20th century, it probably survived intact only because of its obscure location.
Decoration
The decorative figures of the fountain were described by Bouchardon himself in his proposal:Critical reaction
The sculpture by Bouchardon was widely praised at the time. It was featured, along with a fine engraving of the fountain, in the article on classical sculpture by J. F. BlondelJacques-François Blondel
Jacques-François Blondel was a French architect. He was the grandson of François Blondel , whose course of architecture had appeared in four volumes in 1683 -Biography:...
in the French Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....
of 1765.
The project, however, and its massive scale on the narrow street, was criticized by Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
in a letter to the Count de Caylus in 1739, as the fountain was still under construction: