Paryskie fontanny Wallace’a

Abstract

Wallace’s Fountains in Paris

Wallace fountains were built in Paris in 1872–1873. The purpose of this installation was to ensure an unlimited access to a drinkable water for citizens who needed it the most. This idea came from Sir Richard Wallace, an English rich art collector who lived in Paris for years. For him, Paris was like a second capital city. the agreement with the city of Paris allowed him to sponsor the production of fifty fountains made of cast iron. Those, were placed strategically in the new districts dedicated to workers. we can find four different models of these fountains. The first, the biggest kind, was made off richly decorated columns and decorated with water nymphs’s sculptures. the second, is a bit similar to the first. Instead of nymphs, we can observe smaller columns. The third, is an applied ornament fixed to a wall while the fourth is a decorated post with a button. the design of wallace fountains came from fountains we could find in London at that time: the drinking fountains. In London, they were built to fight alcoholism and to ensure a good hygiene for the poor. Today, Wallace fountains are still working and are a typical and an essential element of this urban space.