Is it possible that this fountain’s name is a bit misleading? The Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons sits here in the Jardin Anglais. It is near Geneva’s harbor. This fountain was created in 1863. Mathurin Auguste Moreau and the Parisian company Barbezat et Cie designed it.
The Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons is a collection of cast iron sculptures. These sculptures stand in a large rock basin. The entire structure is 6.5 meters tall. The basin has a diameter of 11.4 meters. The cast iron part features four seated figures. There are two women and two men.
Interestingly, the sculptures may not represent the seasons. The company’s sales catalog suggests they depict mythological figures. These figures are Amphitrite, Galathée, Acis, and Neptune. Edmond Barde suggested in 1928 that they did represent the seasons. Decorations of rope, mooring posts, oars, harpoons, and rudders sit between each couple. These evoke the Mediterranean. They also represent the world of the Nereids or marine nymphs. Four children holding hands adorn the first basin.
Before this grand fountain, a smaller one stood here. It was bought in Paris and installed in 1857. People considered it too “meager”. It was moved to the Jardin des Alpes in 1863. The current Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons replaced it. The old fountain from the Jardin Anglais was commissioned in Paris in 1853. It was installed in 1856. In 1863, it was moved to Place des Alpes. Later, it was moved again to Parc La Grange. The Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons was restored between 1974 and 1976.