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Fuente de las Tres Gracias

Fuente de las Tres Gracias, also known as the Fountain of the Three Nymphs, is a cast-iron fountain in Málaga, Spain. It is a work from Antoine Durenne’s catalogue, based on an original model installed in Saint-Jean Square in Melun, France. Acquired in 1879, it was first placed in the Plaza Mayor, later moved to Plaza de la Marina in 1901, and relocated again in 1914 to the roundabout in Plaza del General Torrijos. The fountain has three levels and two basins, with three classically inspired female figures dressed in tunics and holding agricultural tools, an oar, and a cornucopia as symbols of fertility and guardians of fresh waters.

Three Graces Fountain with classical female figures and flowing water in a park
The Three Graces Fountain in a leafy park, with classical figures integrated into its tiered design.
May 2023 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Three Graces Fountain with a classical sculpture on top, spraying water in a landscaped roundabout.
The Three Graces Fountain stands in a landscaped roundabout with water spraying from its tiers.
May 2009 © alf.melin · CC BY-SA 2.0
Three Graces Fountain in a traffic roundabout with water flowing into a blue basin and a star-shaped flowerbed around it.
The Three Graces Fountain stands at the center of a landscaped roundabout in Málaga.
April 2008 © · CC BY 3.0
The Three Graces Fountain in a grassy roundabout with traffic around it under clear skies.
The Three Graces Fountain stands at the center of a busy roundabout in Malaga.
June 2019 © · CC0
Three Graces Fountain in a circular patterned garden bed with water spraying from the top.
Three Graces Fountain stands in a broad plaza, surrounded by a circular patterned garden bed.
1880 © AnonymousUnknown author · Public domain

Identification

TitleFuente de las Tres Gracias
French titleLa Fontaine des Trois Grâces
French alternative nameFontaine des Trois Nymphes
TypeFountain
Alternative nameFuente de las Tres Ninfas

Creator

SculptorJean-Baptiste Klagmann, French sculptor and goldsmith

Discovery and provenance

Foundry catalog attributionIncluded in Antoine Durenne's catalogue
Original model locationSaint-Jean Square (Place Saint-Jean), Melun, France
Acquired for installation1879

Location and ownership

Relocation in 1901Plaza de la Marina, Málaga
Relocation in 1914Glorieta de Plaza del General Torrijos, on Paseo del Parque, Málaga
Initial installation locationPlaza Mayor (now Plaza de la Constitución), Málaga
Current locationEnd of Paseo del Parque, Centro district, near La Malagueta neighborhood, Málaga, Spain

Physical characteristics

StructureThree bodies and two basins
Pedestal shapeTriangular
Pedestal decorationSeated children on swans and garlands
FiguresThree female classical-style figures

Materials

MaterialCast iron

Appearance

ClothingTogas
Attributes held by the figuresAgricultural tools, an oar, and a cornucopia

Iconography and meaning

InterpretationAn allegory of fertility and protective nymphs of fresh waters

Other

Model for another fountainModel for the Fuente de las Tres Gitanillas
Distance to modeled fountain1,500 meters
Comparison with Fuente de las Tres GitanillasIts figures wear Greco-Roman tunics rather than Andalusian folkloric clothing