It is curious that when you flip on the official tourism web site of Belgium, up pops an image of the Manneken-Pis! What a way to sell Belgium! Well, it is quite the symbol of Brussels, revered as the oldest and most famous citizen of the city.
This famous fountain is located three short blocks south of the Grand Place. If you are expecting a larger than life display, you will be disappointed. It is a tiny and dark bronze statuette that is fenced in at a corner. It is amusing to see the “little man” (or Manneken) do its civic duty, which was originally to supply water to its district. During certain festivals, the boy pees beer or wine, which may represent the real-life routines of many hard drinkers everywhere. Perhaps even more interesting is to watch the expressions on the faces of tourists as they look at the mischievous figure. Shops around the fountain sell loads of Manneken-Pis T-shirts and trinkets.
The fountain, also nicknamed “Little Julian”, was the work of sculptor Jerome Duquesnoy the Elder in 1619. It is said that the boy is a symbol of the general attitude of the locals, who like to think of themselves as having a playful sense of humor and individuality despite serious outward appearances. Despite its reputation as a bit of pop culture, it actually has its merits as a fine work of art, as Duquesnoy was no slouch as a sculptor. Over the years the statue has been stolen, smashed, recovered, restored, and it is still ticking.
I was fortunate enough to witness a costume change one morning. The boy is only occasionally dressed with an outfit on special dates. The statue is fenced off and slightly elevated, so a maintenance man with a ladder has to let himself in with a key. He has to turn off the water during a changeover, as otherwise the outfits (and the man) would become soaked. Supposedly the man has an occasional bit of fun by turning up the water pressure so that the boy “pees” on the crowd, but on this day he was very businesslike. Each outfit has a slot through which the boy’s you-know-what slides through. The dressing process takes about ten minutes or so, and the tourists are oh so ready with cameras in hand to snap the statue in its “new” garb. There is a small sign on the fence that proclaims what the theme of the outfit is for that day.
The Musee de la Ville de Bruxelles, which is located in the King’s House (Maison du Roi) on the northern side of the Grand Place, actually contains the stunning wardrobe of the Manneken-Pis. The lucky boy statue has hundreds of outfits, although many have been retired.