The Fountain of the Innocents: a masterpiece of French Renaissance at the Musée Carnavalet

From 24 April to 25 August 2024, the Carnavalet-History Museum in Paris presents the exhibition “Stone and water Stories from the Fountain des Innocents”

Source: Paris Musées, les musées de la Ville de Paris · Image: John James Chalon, “Le Marché et la fontaine des Innocents”, 1822 © CC0 Paris Musées/Musée Carnavalet –Histoire de Paris

The Fountain of the Innocents is a masterpiece of the French Renaissance, adorned with reliefs by the sculptor Jean Goujon, and forms the centrepiece of Paris, in the heart of the Les Halles district. The restoration of the fountain in 2022-2024 will provide an exceptional opportunity to discover the five nymph reliefs sculpted by Jean Goujon, which have been deposited in the monument. Around the reliefs, the Musée Carnavalet-Histoire de Paris is offering visitors a chance to rediscover this famous Parisian monument, through a bold exhibition approach.

Digital media present the restoration issues facing heritage conservation professionals: how do you restore sculptures? Why and how do you remove reliefs from monuments? and what do you replace them with?

Through a selection of around a hundred works of varying types, the exhibition explores the various changes and transformations that the Fountain of the Innocents has undergone over the years, as well as Jean Goujon, a major artist who is little known today. The decisive influence he had on many artists is another highlight of the exhibition, as is the posterity of this iconic Parisian monument in popular culture.