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Brewer Fountain

Coordinates: 42°21′22″N 71°03′47″W / 42.35619°N 71.06310°W / 42.35619; -71.06310
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Brewer Fountain
Brewer Fountain
ArtistMichel Joseph Napoléon Liénard
Completion date3 June 1868 (1868-06-03)
MediumBronze
SubjectNeptune, Amphitrite (Neptune's wife), and Acis and Galatea
Dimensions670 cm (260 in)
Weight15,000 pounds
LocationBoston, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°21′22″N 71°03′47″W / 42.35619°N 71.06310°W / 42.35619; -71.06310
One of many stereoscopic images of the fountain

Brewer Fountain is a 1868 bronze sculpture by Michel Joseph Napoléon Liénard. It stands near the corner of Park and Tremont Streets in Boston, Massachusetts, by Park Street Station.

History

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The 22-foot-tall (6.7 m), 15,000-pound (6,800 kg) bronze fountain, cast in Paris, was a gift to the city by Gardner Brewer. It began to function for the first time on June 3, 1868. It is one of several casts of the original, featured at the 1855 Paris World Fair, designed by French artist Michel Joseph Napoléon Liénard;[1] other copies with minor variations can be found across the world, including the Steble Fountain in Liverpool or the Tourny Fountain in Québec.

At least sixteen other copies exist, including one on Av. Cordoba y Cerrito in Buenos Aires and in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.[2][3] The fountain is decorated with the figures of Neptune, Amphitrite (Neptune's wife), and Acis and Galatea, a couple from Greek mythology.[4] It fell into disrepair and finally stopped functioning entirely in 2003. A major repair project began in 2009.[5] After a year-long $640,000 off-site restoration led by sculpture conservator Joshua Craine of Daedalus Inc., it was re-dedicated on May 26, 2010.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Brewer Fountain on Boston Common, with a Biography of Gardner Brewer". Celebrateboston.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  2. ^ "E-monumen". Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2014-02-12.
  3. ^ "Public Art Around the World - Ornamental Fountain Tacna". Archived from the original on 2014-02-24. Retrieved 2014-02-12.
  4. ^ "Boston Common". Aviewoncities.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  5. ^ Abel, David (June 12, 2009). "141-year-old Brewer Fountain to undergo restoration". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  6. ^ Abel, David (May 27, 2010). "A jewel of the Boston Common glistens once more". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
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