The Fontaine de l'Observatoire (also known as the Fontaine des Quatre-Parties-du-Monde, or simply the), is in the Jardin Marco Polo, in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was commissioned in 1867 and dedicated in 1874.
It is adorned with sculptures of female figures by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux representing the four parts of the world.
Some of the heads made
in preparation for this project can be seen in Paris in the permanent collection
of the Petit Palais museum.
This is a male head
that was made by Carpeaux and will be used as reference for the feminine figure
representing Asia. Carpeaux used, as model, Chinese people who were travelling
to Paris.
Other statues also at
the Petit Palais museum:
Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
was from the city of Valenciennes in the North of France and the Fine Art
Museum there holds a large collection of Carpeaux’s works.
Related resources
Paris Fine Art Museum -Petit Palais
Antoine Watteau monument by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux in Valencienne
