How are you?
On every Thursday, I am
introducing the stories about various artists and their paintings with the
title “Interesting Art Stories”.
The 16th story for this week is
"Manneken Pis" by the Flemish sculptor Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder.
Manneken Pis is a statue
depicting a naked little boy urinating into the fountain's basin. This 61 cm tall bronze statue
is at the junction of the Rue du Chêne and the Rue de l'Étuve, about only five
minutes' walk from the Grand Place in Brussels.
The statue was created by a
Flemish sculptor Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder in 1619, but the statue we see
currently is a replica made in 1965, and the original is kept in the Brussels
City Museum.
Manneken Pis fountain, an etching by Jacobus Harrewijn (1697)
Historically, the statue has
suffered many times, with repeated thefts or attempted thefts. According to a
legend, the statue was found in the Flemish village of Geraardsbergen after
being stolen in 1745, and the people of Brussels gave this village a replica of
the statue as a token of gratitude for finding it.
The first real attempted
theft was made by a group of French grenadiers stationed in Brussels in 1747.
The people of Brussels vowed to revenge against the act, but the King of
France, Louis XV offered a gentleman's gown of brocade, embroidered with gold
to Manneken Pis to soothe the situation.
The statue was later stolen
by Antoine Licas, a fugitive in 1817, and he was severely punished as condemned
to forced labor for life. During this theft, the original statue was broken
into 11 pieces, and the destroyed statue was restored by a professional welder
under the supervision of sculptor Gilles-Lambert Godecharle.
Manneken Pis in its niche, fitted in 1770
The statue experienced
similar afflictions in the 20th century.
Two theft attempts were occurred in
1955 and 1957, and some records say it was stolen seven times. The situation
was even more serious when it was stolen in 1965 as the statue was broken by
the thief, leaving only the feet and ankles. In June 1966, the magazine
"De Post", published in Antwerp, received an anonymous call, stating
that the statue was in the Charleroi Canal. Subsequently, the statue was found
by divers and sent to the magazine, and on June 27 it was returned to Brussels.
Once again restored, the statue has found an eternal shelter, and the original
version is now kept and displayed on the second floor of the Brussels City
Museum.
The surroundings of Manneken Pis
There are several legends
behind Manneken Pis, but the most famous of which is the story of Godfrey III,
Duke of Leuven. In 1142, the troops of the lord Godfrey III, who was one year
old at the time, were fighting against the troops of the lord of Grimbergen, in
Ransbeke. The troops put the infant lord in a basket and hung the basket in a
tree to encourage the fighting troops. From there, the infant lord urinated on
the troops of the lord of Grimbergen, who lost the battle.
According to another legend,
in the 14th century, Brussels was under siege by a foreign power. The city has
resisted for quite some time, so the invaders plan to install explosives on the
city walls. Then a little boy named Julianske was spying on them while they
were installing explosives. He urinated on the burning fuse and saved Brussels
as a result.
Another story, often told to
tourists, is about a wealthy merchant who lost his beloved young son while
visiting the city with his family. The merchant hurried to form
a search party and searched the entire city, where he found his son happily
pissing in a small garden. The merchant is said to have built the fountain in
return for thanks to the locals who helped during the search.
Today, the statue is one of
Brussels' main tourist attractions and you can often see it in clothes. This is
because it has become a tradition since the 18th century to wear fancy clothes
on this statue. The statue is always receiving new clothes from all over the
world, and it is said that there are currently more than 900 clothes in the
closet of the statue.
Manneken Pis in judo attire (2008)
A saxophone for Manneken Pis on the 200th birthday of Adolphe Sax (6 November 2014)
Thank you.
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