Holbein Fountain

Take a moment to look at the fountain in front of you. This is the Holbein Fountain, a fine example of Renaissance art in Basel dating from the mid-sixteenth century. The one you see today is actually a copy installed in the nineteenth century, while the original is preserved in the Historical Museum to protect it. The fountain takes its name from the sculpted figures that reproduce well-known Renaissance images. The peasants dancing around the column are inspired by a woodcut created in 1523 by Hans Holbein the Younger, an important painter and illustrator who lived and worked in Basel for many years, while the bagpiper at the top echoes the pose of a character drawn by Albrecht Dürer, one of the greatest engravers of the German Renaissance. Around the column, these dancing scenes create a sense of movement and give the whole composition a lively character that contrasts with the solidity of the stone. In this neighborhood, as throughout Basel, fountains long played an essential role in daily life. They provided a constant water supply for residents and are still fed with drinking water today. In fact, there are hundreds of fountains spread across the city.