Gavarni

On the Place Saint-Georges in Paris's 9th arrondissement, a monument has stood since 1904 in honor of the satirical illustrator Paul Gavarni, who lived nearby. The work was created by the sculptor Denys Puech and the architect Henri Guillaume and commemorates the artist, who died in 1866. The monument was initiated by the Society of Painter-Lithographers and financed through public collections and donations. It replaced an older fountain that originally served as a watering trough for horses; the function as a water basin was retained in the new design.

The monument consists of a column topped by a bust of Gavarni, shown sketching in a sketchbook. Four high reliefs are mounted at the base of the column, depicting figures from the Paris Carnival: a porter, a lorette, a poet, and a harlequin. This depiction is unique in Paris, since the carnival has no longer been held since 1950. On the four sides of the pedestal are bronze masks that serve as water spouts, although the fountain is only rarely in operation. The entire ensemble is surrounded by a fence and was last restored in 2020.