Last weekend, the foam in the fountain on Place Rouppe drew attention to the statue’s missing hand with laurel wreath. That hand has been missing since 2017, it now appears. An exact date for the repair of the statue is not yet known.
That laurel wreath has disappeared for unknown reasons. The chance that activists have wreaked havoc seems small. “Rouppe is considered a positive figure,” historian Roel Jacobs said earlier.
It may be due to erosion or vandalism, as was the case in 2007. Artists then hung a cloth on the statue, which vandals then used as a swing. The City of Brussels restored the laurel wreath in 2009.
Inventory
When that will happen with the damage from 2017, it is not yet known. However, Ans Persoons (one.brussels-Vooruit) spokesperson for the impeded aldermen of Public Space does inform us that in 2019 the City of Brussels made an inventory of the statues in the city to be renovated.
This inventory made it possible to determine priorities for maintenance or restoration based on objective criteria: think of the state of conservation, the material, the theme or the geographical location. For each statue, fountain, work of art or commemorative plaque, a sheet was drawn up with a description, history, photos and a list of any damage.
Warande park priority
For renovation and cleaning, it was decided to first tackle the statues in the Warandepark. But the work is not standing still, Persoons’ spokesman emphasizes. Last year, the City of Brussels also commissioned a study for the white marble statues and busts in the city. The study tests the optimal approach in maintenance, cleaning and repair. The first tests were carried out in May of this year, the conclusions will follow in September 2023.
As a reminder: The statue with fountain was erected in 1848 in honor of Nicolas-Jean Rouppe, the first mayor of Brussels after Belgium’s independence. The statue on Place Rouppe is a symbol of Brussels from the time of the liberal mayor. A woman wears Saint Michael’s Cathedral on her head as a symbol of the church and in her hand she points with a laurel wreath in the direction of the city hall of Brussels, where Rouppe was mayor.
This article is originally published on bruzz.be
