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Origin and history

La Fontaine des Fleuves is one of two symmetrical fountains installed in Place de la Concorde in Paris, designed by architect Jacques-Ignace Hittorff between 1836 and 1846. They are part of a redevelopment project of the square, marked by the erection of the obelisk of Luxor in 1836, a gift from the viceroy of Egypt Mehemet Ali. These fountains, inaugurated on 1 May 1840, symbolize the French naval genius, in connection with the department of the Navy then installed on the square. The northern fountain, dedicated to the rivers, represents the Rhine and the Rhone surrounded by allegories of agriculture, industry and river navigation.

The creation of the statues, made of gold iron cast iron, was entrusted to artists such as Jean-François-Théodore Gechter and Auguste-Hyacinthe Debay, and produced by the foundry of Tusey in Lorraine. The adjacent rostral columns, decorated with bows of ships, evoke the emblem of Paris and complement this tribute to navigation. The fountain also reflects the political tensions of the time: the statue of Strasbourg, draped with black after 1871, recalls the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine by Germany.

Prior to these developments, the Place de la Concorde, formerly Louis XVI Square, bore the weight of revolutionary memories, including the executions of the royal family. The initial projects, such as a statue of Louis XVI or a fountain, were abandoned after the Revolution of July 1830. Lobelisque and politically neutral fountains transformed the place into a symbol of national harmony, while celebrating the technical and artistic advances of the 19th century.

The Fountain of the Rivers, with its sister the Fountain of the Seas, became an emblematic element of Haussmannian Paris, integrating art, history and urban planning. His iconography, combining allegories and realism, illustrates Hittorff's ambition to create a space that is both monumental and educational, celebrating France's natural and commercial wealth. Today, it remains a popular filming venue, as shown by films such as Un Américaine à Paris (1951) or Fantomas (1964).

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