If you’ve ever had the great fortune to flâner* the picturesque public parks and seductive streets of Paris, France, then surely you will have come across at least one of these curious green works of public art: Paris’ famous Wallace Fountains. They first made the scene in the early 1870s, named for the English philanthropist who introduced them: Sir Richard Wallace.
Sir Wallace loved Paris, so much so that he stayed put throughout the 1870-71 Siege of Paris of the Franco-Prussian War. Indeed, he first distinguished himself during the siege when he organized, at his own expense, several ambulance operations to tend to the wounded and needy. As a result, he was much beloved by French citizens far and wide who heard of his great acts of selfless charity despite the siege’s blockade on information.
After the siege, Paris faced other problems. Fresh drinking water became scarce, for example, and its price climbed so high that it was more economical for the poor to purchase wine. Alcoholism soared, which didn’t help the post-war clean-up effort one bit! With his fountains, Wallace brought free, potable drinking water to the masses both to mitigate the rise in alcohol consumption while also to help beautify his war-ravaged adoptive home.
Each Wallace Fountain is a cast-iron sculpture designed by Charles-Auguste Lebourg, following Wallace’s guidelines that they be
- visible from afar but harmonize with the surrounding landscape;
- affordable to make as well as to install;
- pleasing to the eye;
- simple to maintain; and
- able to withstand the elements.
That these goals were achieved is evidenced by the 77 Wallace Fountains that continue to provide Paris with both beauty and clean, potable water today.
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*Flâner = To stroll
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