La Fermière Fountain
La Fermière is a fountain created by Alfred Laliberté between 1914 and 1915 and located in Gennevilliers-Laliberté Square, opposite Maisonneuve Market on Ontario Street in Montreal, Quebec. Commissioned as part of Marius Dufresne’s market development plan, it was designed not only as a decorative monument but also to provide drinking water for the market. The ensemble included sculptures cast by Robert Mitchell’s foundry and was completed in 1915. After years of damage, vandalism, and alterations, the fountain was restored in the 1990s using historical photographs and reopened on 26 October 1995, returning the nine turtles and three frogs to the monument.
August 2011 © Josée Robidoux, Pauline Traversy, David McKinney (Wikipedia Takes Montreal participant) · CC BY-SA 4.0
September 2013 © Thomas1313 · CC BY-SA 3.0
July 2007 © Montrealais · CC BY 3.0
1916 © Wm. Notman & Son · Public domain
August 2012 © Popupartmtl · CC BY-SA 3.0
Identification | |
| Title | Fermière Monument |
| Type | Fountain monument |
| Alternative titles | La Fermière; La Fermière (La Granjera) |
Creator | |
| Artist | Alfred Laliberté |
| Artist lifespan | 1877–1953 |
Historical context | |
| Historical context | Erected when Montreal was undergoing development and rural exodus was at its peak |
| Creation date | 1914–1915 |
| Commissioned by | Marius Dufresne, engineer of Maisonneuve |
| Designed by | Marius Dufresne |
| Project start date | 1914 |
| Planned location | Square in front of the public market at the northern end of the then-uncreated Boulevard Morgan, Maisonneuve (now annexed to Montreal) |
| Associated market | Public market in Maisonneuve, later one of the largest markets in Montreal |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Other fabrication participants | Joseph Brunet (Les Ateliers Brunet) and Cement Products Co. of Canada |
| Execution entrusted to | Sculptor Alfred Laliberté |
| Original casting foundry | Robert Mitchell foundry |
| Estimated cost | $20,660 |
Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 5.75 × 19 meters |
| Main structure | Large circular granite basin |
| Pedestal | Hexagonal pedestal with two tiers |
| Central composition | Three bronze statues arranged in a triangular formation in the center of the basin |
Materials | |
| Materials | Granite basin and structure; bronze sculptures |
Technique | |
| Original casting method | Foundry-cast bronze |
| Restoration casting method | Lost-wax casting |
Appearance | |
| Fountain form | Large curved granite basin surrounded by a bench and lanterns |
| Original decorative elements | Nine turtles, three frogs, lanterns, and a stone bench around the fountain |
| Figures and spouts | A female figure holding a basket of fruit and vegetables atop the composition; three bronze animal figures beneath her (a naked boy holding a salmon, a boy pulling a calf by the ear, and a boy holding a struggling turkey); three frogs at her feet; three turtles between the pedestal tiers; six larger turtles in pairs around the basin |
Iconography and meaning | |
| Commemoration | Honors Louise Mauger's memory and, more generally, all women who contributed to the development of Quebec |
| Cultural context | Closely linked to traditional French Canadian values |
| Theme | Agriculture, rural life, and market life |
| Style | Realistic and contemporary depiction |
| Depicted figures' symbolism | The salmon symbolizes water; the calf symbolizes earth; the turkey symbolizes air |
| Depicted person significance | Recognized as Montreal's first female farmer and one of the pioneers of the French colony there |
| Depicted person | Louise Mauger |
| Historical reference | Without naming her, the monument refers to Louise Mauger (1598–1690) |
| Subject | A market gardener of the 17th century |
| Symbolism of central figures | They represent water, earth, and air |
Location and ownership | |
| Current location | Gennevilliers-Laliberté Square, in front of Maisonneuve Market, on Ontario Street, Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Location context | Maisonneuve, now annexed to Montreal |
History and restoration | |
| Restored sculptures foundry | Atelier Du Bronze Inc., Inverness, Nova Scotia |
| Restoration decision | In the 1990s it was decided to restore the fountain to its original state |
| Restoration reference sources | Two photographs were used: one from 1949 and another from 1914 showing the model of the work from Laliberté's archives |
| Restoration company | Amarger Conservation Inc. |
| Reinauguration date | 26 October 1995 |
| Restored elements | The nine turtles and three frogs were reconstructed |
| Restoration casting date | Summer 1995 |
| Restoration duration | Almost one year |
| Conservation treatment | The sculptures were removed from their pedestals for conservation treatment to restore their original appearance and protect them from atmospheric damage and the fountain's microclimate |
| Further deterioration factor | Vehicles were customarily parked around it between the 1950s and 2000 |
| Landscape change | The base was covered with a double row of shrubs |
| Condition after alterations | The structure was artistically diminished and compromised |
| Market activity in early years | The market annually welcomed around 3,000 farmers, shopkeepers, butchers, fishmongers, and other food-industry workers |
| Construction completion | Approximately late summer 1915 |
| 1959 alterations | The bench was demolished, the lanterns removed, large granite blocks were installed in front of the pedestals beneath the crowning figure, and the basin was drained, filled with earth, and turned into a garden |
| Historical note | On 4 December 1914, La Patrie described people sitting on the stone bench around the fountain while listening to the sound of water droplets |
| Early installation | Before the beginning of 1915, the base of the set and several spouts had already been installed |
| Market significance | It became the largest market in Montreal |
| Market expansion | Expanded in 1932 |
| Change in market use | In 1962 the building became a police station, partially removing its original function |
| Outdoor stalls closed | 1967 |
| Damage in 1949 | Several sculptures were damaged by vandalism; the nine turtles and three frogs were stolen; the fountain was inoperative for a brief period |
Significance | |
| Distinctiveness | Unique in Montreal because no other market in the city has a similar fountain |
| Bronze size distinction | At the time, it was the largest work cast in bronze in Canada |
| Artistic significance | One of the most important pieces in Laliberté's catalogue |
| Historical impact | Its fame later enabled Laliberté to receive several other public commissions |
| Representation significance | The first representation in Montreal of an ordinary person instead of a historical figure |
Other | |
| Related monument to Pierre Gadoys | A small stone trapezoid monument in Place Youville, installed in 1992 for Montreal's 350th anniversary; front inscription and left-side legend mentioned but not transcribed |
| Exhibition loan | For the exhibition 'Artistas, arquitectos y artesanos. El arte canadiense de 1890 a 1918' (8 November 2013 to 17 February 2014), 'The boy with the turkey' was placed at the entrance and 'The boy with the salmon' at the exit of the exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa |