Fontaine du Fellah

“A pharaoh in Paris?” a child whispered, tugging at his mother’s hand. Indeed, the Fontaine du Fellah, nestled on rue de Sèvres, evokes such a question. This curious neo-Egyptian style fountain arrived in Paris in 1806, a splash of the exotic ordered by Napoleon himself. The Fontaine du Fellah was a part of Napoleon’s plan to bring fresh water to the city via the Canal de l’Ourcq project. It was also meant as a commemoration of his Egyptian campaign. The architect, François-Jean Bralle, also designed the Medici Fountain in the Luxembourg Gardens. The sculptor, Pierre-Nicolas Beauvallet, contributed to the Vendôme Column. The figure at the Fontaine du Fellah, though called “Fellah” (Egyptian peasant), bears a striking resemblance to Antinous, a favorite of Roman Emperor Hadrian. The original statue resides in the Vatican Museum. The one we see here is a copy crafted by Jean-François Gechter in 1844. The original, sculpted from poor quality stone, had deteriorated. Look closely. The figure holds two amphorae, originally spouting water into the basin below. Above, an imperial eagle, a Napoleonic symbol, replaced the original sun disc. Sadly, the water no longer flows. But there are plans to revive it. The Fontaine du Fellah, a discreet gem of exoticism, awaits its watery resurrection.