The Fontaine Molière is a fountain in the

1st arrondissement of Paris The 1st arrondissement of Paris (''Ier arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is colloquially referred to as ''le premier'' (the first). I ...

, at the junction of the Rue Molière and the

Rue de Richelieu The Rue de Richelieu () is a long street of Paris, starting in the south of the 1st arrondissement at the Comédie-Française and ending in the north of the 2nd arrondissement. For the first half of the 19th century, before Georges-Eugène Hau ...

. Its site was occupied by a fountain known as the ''Fontaine Richelieu'' until 1838, when it was demolished due to interfering with traffic flow. Joseph Régnier, a member of the

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

, suggested a new fountain set back slightly from the previous fountain's site as a monument to the playwright

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...

. This was France's first national public subscription for a commemorative monument dedicated to a non-military figure. Built in 1844, the fountain was designed by several sculptors, headed by the architect

Louis Visconti Louis Tullius Joachim Visconti (Rome February 11, 1791 – December 29, 1853) was an Italian-born French architect and designer. Life Son of the Italian archaeologist and art historian Ennio Quirino Visconti, Visconti designed many Paris ...

, who also designed the fountain in the Place Saint-Sulpice. The main bronze sculpture, showing Molière seated under a portico under an imposing arch, is by Bernard-Gabriel Seurre and cast by the fonderie Eck et Durand. Under him is an inscription flanked by two marble female sculptures by

Jean-Jacques Pradier James Pradier (born Jean-Jacques Pradier, ; 23 May 1790 – 4 June 1852) was a Genevan-born French sculpture, sculptor best known for his work in the neoclassicism, neoclassical style. Life and work Born in Geneva (then the Republic of Geneva), ...

, ''Serious Comedy'' and ''Light Comedy''; each holds a scroll listing Molière's works. Right at the bottom are lion masks, from which the water pours into a semi-circular basin. A commemorative medal for the fountain's inauguration was designed by François Augustin Caunois in 1844; an example of it is in the

Musée Carnavalet The Musée Carnavalet () in Paris is dedicated to the History of Paris, history of the city. The museum occupies two neighboring mansions: the Hôtel Carnavalet and the former Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau. On the advice of Baron Haussmann, ...

Gallery

File:Fontaine Molière Paris 1er 005.jpg, Statue of Molière by Bernard-Gabriel Seurre File:Fontaine Molière Paris 1er 002.jpg, ''Serious Comedy'' by

File:Fontaine Molière Paris 1er 004.jpg, ''Light Comedy'' by Jean-Jacques Pradier File:Fontaine Molière Paris 1er 006.jpg, Details of fountain (mascaron)

Bibliography

* Marie-Hélène Levadé et Hugues Marcouyeau, ''Les fontaines de Paris : l'eau pour le plaisir'' - Paris, 2008 - * Daniel Rabreau, ''Paris et ses fontaines'' - Paris, 1997 -

External links

Gallery of photos on the "Paris 1900" site
Moliere Buildings and structures in the 1st arrondissement of Paris Buildings and structures completed in 1844 19th-century architecture in France {{France-struct-stub

Gallery

Bibliography

See also

External links