Sphinx et la Fontaine du Palmier

This sphinx is one of four at the base of the monumental Fontaine du Palmier which was constructed between 1806 and 1808 to provide drinking water to the residents of Paris and to commemorate the victories of Napoleon.  The sphinxes were sculpted by Henri Alfred Jacquemart almost 100 years later to acknowledge Napoleon's victories over Egypt. The gilt statue of Victory sits atop the almost 60-foot column of the Fontaine du Palmier and greatly overshadows this sphinx.

The simple gray tones of the sphinx pale beneath the gold Victory, but what a wonderful view of Paris buildings, busy street life, and the Seine from his vantage point.  Most visitors look up and shoot - don't forget to notice a sphinx.

(Seen in the background, the dome of Tribunal de Commerce on Île de la Cité)

Fontaine du Palmier

Place du Châtelet

75001, Paris