Project for a monumental fountain which was to adorn the Place de la Bastille, Theodor Josef Hubert Hoffbauer, between 1875 and 1882

In 1811, a decree was signed allowing for the construction of a bronze elephant fountain in the place de la bastille, as proposed by napoléon. In an effort to commemorate his army, the emperor envisioned a fountain that discharged water from the elephant's trunk. A winding staircase was to be built inside one of the elephant's legs, and the total height of the structure was to measure 72 feet. Despite the grandeur of the project, military conflicts with spain interfered with the construction process, and napoléon's reign ended before the project could be completed. Date: between 1875 and 1882. Dimensions: 11 x 11 cm. Medium: lithograph. Collection: Brown University Library. Projet de fontaine monumentale qui devait orner la place de la Bastille