Brewer Fountain is a 1868 bronze sculpture by
Michel Joseph Napoléon Liénard
Michel Joseph Napoléon Liénard (1810–1870) was a French sculptor and ornamentalist.
Works
Variants of the same fountain design were used by Liénard multiple times, with minor alterations:
* Brewer Fountain, Boston (Massachusetts, United ...
. It stands near the corner of Park and Tremont Streets in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
, by Park Street Station.
History
The 22-foot-tall (6.7 m), 15,000-pound (6,800 kg) bronze fountain, cast in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, was a gift to the city by
Gardner Brewer. It began to function for the first time on June 3, 1868. It is one of several casts of the original, featured at the
1855 Paris World Fair, designed by French artist
Michel Joseph Napoléon Liénard
Michel Joseph Napoléon Liénard (1810–1870) was a French sculptor and ornamentalist.
Works
Variants of the same fountain design were used by Liénard multiple times, with minor alterations:
* Brewer Fountain, Boston (Massachusetts, United ...
; other copies with minor variations can be found across the world, including the
Steble Fountain
The Steble Fountain stands on William Brown Street in Liverpool, England, to the west of Wellington's Column. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. It was donated to the city by a fo ...
in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
or the
Tourny Fountain in
Québec
Quebec is Canada's largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, New Brunswick to the southeast and a coastal border ...
.
At least sixteen other copies exist, including one on Av. Cordoba y Cerrito in Buenos Aires and in
Salvador de Bahia
Salvador () is a Municipalities of Brazil, Brazilian municipality and capital city of the Federative units of Brazil, state of Bahia. Situated in the Zona da Mata in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of Brazil, Salvador is recognize ...
, Brazil. The fountain is decorated with the figures of
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...
,
Amphitrite
In ancient Greek mythology, Amphitrite (; ) was the goddess of the sea, the queen of the sea, and her consort is Poseidon. She was a daughter of Nereus and Doris (or Oceanus and Tethys).Roman, L., & Roman, M. (2010). Under the influence ...
(Neptune's wife), and
Acis and Galatea
Acis and Galatea (, ) are characters from Greek mythology later associated together in Ovid's ''Metamorphoses''. The episode tells of the love between the mortal Acis and the Nereid (sea-nymph) Galatea; when the jealous Cyclops Polyphemus kil ...
, a couple from
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...
. It fell into disrepair and finally stopped functioning entirely in 2003. A major repair project began in 2009. After a year-long $640,000 off-site restoration led by sculpture conservator Joshua Craine of Daedalus Inc., it was re-dedicated on May 26, 2010.
See also
*
1868 in art
Events
January
* January 2 – British Expedition to Abyssinia: Robert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala, Robert Napier leads an expedition to free captive British officials and missionaries.
* January 3 – The 15-year-old Mutsu ...
References
External links
The Brewer Fountain, (sculpture).at the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...
Boston Common
Bronze sculptures in Massachusetts
Buildings and structures in Boston
Fountains in Massachusetts
Outdoor sculptures in Boston
Sculptures of men in Massachusetts
Sculptures of mythology
Sculptures of Neptune
Sculptures of women in Massachusetts
Statues in Boston
Tourist attractions in Boston
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