The present city of Brussels is home to a number of major institutions such as the headquarters of the European Union and NATO. But, there is a much smaller attraction and one that has been around in one form or another for hundreds of years. And that is the Manneken Pis. It is a bronze statue of a naked little boy peeing into the fountain’s basin and it is probably as famous as the Little Mermaid located at the Langelinie promenade on the waterside of Copenhagen in Denmark.
It is thought that the first Manneken Pis made its entrance in the mid fourteen hundreds. What we can be pretty sure about is that it was redesigned by the Brabantine sculptor, Jerome Duquesnoy the Elder in about 1618. For such a small boy; he is only 55.5 centimetres high, he has had quite an adventurous life. He has been the target of vandals over the centuries and has been the victim of a number of kidnappings. On one occasion, only his feet remained. However, after a tip-off, the rest of him was found at the bottom of a canal.
So, from 1965, the one on show which is a short walk from Brussels’s Grand-Place, is a replica. The original one sought the safety of the City of Brussels Museum which is located on the Grand-Place. Today, there is a non-profit association that looks after him. They are called “The Order of the Friends of Manneken Pis.” Part of their function is to dress the statue in a different costume every few days. It is said that his wardrobe amounts to over one thousand outfits. I think I know someone who could match that, but that is another story.
Over the years, there have been a number of copies made of Manneken Pis and one of them claims to be the older original. But, this is disputed. However, if you have set your heart on owning your very own Manneken Pis, you can choose one from the hundreds that are on sale to tourists in Brussels.
John Pullen 