Sculptpedia Statues, Busts and Sculptures Park sculptures and installations Ancient World & Antiquity Middle Ages & Renaissance Marble & Other Stones Bronze & Other Metals

Fontaine Bartholdi

Fontaine Bartholdi is a monumental fountain in Lyon, France, located on Place des Terreaux. Created by sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, it was inaugurated in 1892 under the original title Char triomphal de la Garonne, while its official name is Les fleuves et les sources allant à l'océan. The work was first presented at the 1889 Paris Exposition and later purchased by the city of Lyon after Bordeaux abandoned the project. It was installed on the square in place of an earlier fountain, then moved in 1992 during the square’s renovation. The fountain was classed as a historical monument in 1995 and underwent major restoration in the 2010s before being reinstalled and inaugurated again.

Fontaine Bartholdi fountain with a seated female figure and rearing horses in Lyon
The Fontaine Bartholdi dominates Place des Terreaux in Lyon with its dramatic horse and figure composition.
March 2009 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Fontaine Bartholdi fountain with horse sculptures, a central female figure, and water flowing into the basin.
The Fontaine Bartholdi fountain in a city square, with its horse sculptures and central figure above the cascading water.
© · Public domain
Fontaine Bartholdi fountain sculpture in Lyon with a female figure in a horse-drawn chariot and flowing water
Fontaine Bartholdi in Lyon, showing the fountain’s dramatic horse-drawn chariot sculpture.
July 2010 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Fontaine Bartholdi in the center of Place des Terreaux, surrounded by wet paving, pedestrians, and surrounding buildings.
Fontaine Bartholdi stands at the center of Place des Terreaux in Lyon, seen from above on a wet square.
December 2021 © · CC0
Close-up of a frozen detail on the Fontaine Bartholdi, with water flowing over stone and icicles hanging from the sculpture.
A close-up of the Fontaine Bartholdi showing water flowing over frozen stone details and icicles.
February 2021 © · CC0

Identification

TitleFontaine Bartholdi
TypeFountain

Historical context

Competition winnerFrédéric Bartholdi
Original symbolismAn allegory of the Garonne and its tributaries
Reactivated1886, after the inauguration of Bartholdi's Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor
Artist age at winning the competition23 years old
Later symbolism in LyonAn allegory of France and its four great rivers
Initial intended locationPlace des Quinconces, Bordeaux
Initial commission date20 April 1857
Commissioned byCity of Bordeaux
German translation of original nameTriumphwagen der Garonne
Official nameLes fleuves et les sources allant à l'océan
Original project nameChar triomphal de la Garonne

Creator

Support structure makerMoisant workshops
Foundries involvedGaget, Gauthier and Cie
ManufacturerGaget & Gautier
SculptorFrédéric Auguste Bartholdi

Discovery and provenance

Current statusStill in place
Previous location in LyonWest side of Place des Terreaux, facing the town hall
Site selected in LyonPlace des Terreaux
Current orientationNorth side of the square, facing the Museum of Fine Arts
Current locationPlace des Terreaux, Lyon, France
Previous fountain on siteTourny Fountain, later moved to Place Guichard
Placement decision dateMarch 1891
Original intended locationPlace des Quinconces, Bordeaux
Purchase negotiation byÉdouard Aynard at the request of Antoine Gailleton
Initial purchase price requested150,000 francs
Purchase by LyonPurchased by the city of Lyon for 100,000 francs
Original project statusWon by Bartholdi but not carried out by Bordeaux city hall
Original location contextNear the Garonne in Bordeaux
Presented atExposition Universelle (1889) in Paris
Exhibited atExposition Universelle of Paris, 1889

Physical characteristics

Height of figure group4.85 m
Basin diameter15 m
Weight21 tons
CompositionTwo basins and a statue
Basin structureTwo-part basin with a raised rear section and a larger lower section

Materials

Reins materialAquatic plants
Chariot materialsLarge shells, sea urchin skeletons, starfish, and snail shells
Outer skinLead skin
Basin materialMarble
Main materialLead with an internal iron framework

Technique

Construction methodMetal skeleton with preformed lead plates, retouched with repoussé and chasing
Technique originDeveloped by the Gaget, Gauthier and Cie foundries from goldsmithing and artistic metalware techniques

Appearance

StyleMonumental with symmetrically arranged rearing and plunging horses
Horse detailsThe horses' hooves show claws
Chariot compositionThe chariot is made up of aquatic creatures

Iconography and meaning

Water symbolismWater flows from the amphorae and around the horses onto the rocky base
Nostrils effectThe horses' nostrils spray a fine water mist
InscriptionA third amphora bears the sculptor's name
Horse symbolismThe horses represent the four main tributaries of the Garonne in the original scheme and the four great rivers of France in Lyon
Secondary figuresTwo children holding amphorae
Main figureAmphitrite, reinterpreted in Lyon as Marianne

Location and ownership

OwnerCity of Lyon
Historic monument statusClassified as a historic monument
Historic monument designation date29 September 1995

History and restoration

Restoration objectiveTo preserve the work and improve its legibility and liveliness
Restoration resultRestored, re-watered, and lit fountain
Reinauguration date22 March 2018
Head of Amphitrite installed17 November 2017
Restoration completionEnd of 2017
State contribution to restoration€1 million
Restoration budgetMore than €2.5 million
Restoration processThe internal structure was reinforced, the statue was dismantled in May and June 2016, and the parts were transported to the Fondation de Coubertin workshop in south-west Île-de-France
Relocation reasonRedesign of the square after construction of an underground parking garage
Water system before restorationThe water system no longer worked properly, especially at the horses' nostrils
Cause of deteriorationWeathering and damage caused by crowds during festive commemorations in Place des Terreaux
Condition before restorationPoor condition: the internal structure was rusted and the lead figures were deformed and cracked
Restoration startJune 2016
Restoration planningPlanned in 1968 and again later; actual restoration began in 2016
Relocated toThe north side of Place des Terreaux, opposite the Museum of Fine Arts
Relocation date1992
Inauguration context100th anniversary of the founding of the First Republic
Inauguration date in Lyon22 September 1892

Significance

Notable forIts monumental size and the technical achievement of its structure and cantilevered horses

Other

InspirationThe Apollo Fountain at Versailles by Jean-Baptiste Tuby
Association with the Statue of LibertyGaget and Gauthier had previously worked with Bartholdi on the Statue of Liberty
Museum connectionThe Museum of Fine Arts contains a model or cast of the Statue of Liberty and a clay sketch of the Statue of Liberty