Simons
Fontaine De Tourny Art Print Our History, Our Heritage Collection
This art print from Simons' Our History, Our Heritage collection depicts the Fontaine de Tourny in Quebec City. It features an inkjet illustration on creamy white 280 g cardstock with a matte finish, a bonded cardstock passe-partout, and an included instruction sheet. Dimensions are 8 x 10 inches (20.25 x 25.5 cm).
- Material
- 280 g cardstock
- Style
- vintage
- Category
- Arts & Entertainment > Hobbies & Creative Arts > Arts & Crafts
Specifications
A poster featuring the Fontaine de Tourny, part of Simons' heritage collection, printed on creamy white 280 g cardstock with a matte finish.
Inkjet print that dries instantly on creamy white 280 g cardstock with a matte finish; bonded cardstock passe-partout; removable cardstock; includes instruction sheet about the illustration.
- Material
- 280 g cardstock
- Style
- vintage
- Occasion
- gift
- Condition
- new
- Category
- Arts & Entertainment > Hobbies & Creative Arts > Arts & Crafts
Additional Attributes
- Simons exclusive
- designed in Canada
- inkjet print
- matte finish
- bonded cardstock passe-partout
- removable cardstock
- instruction sheet included
- 8 x 10 inches
- Our History, Our Heritage collection
- collaboration with Canadian artist Marie-Hélène Cliche
Product Insights
A monochrome linocut-style print by gallery-represented artist Marie-Hélène Cliche depicting the monumental Fontaine de Tourny—a 7-metre, 18-tonne Second Empire fountain with 43 jets rescued from a Paris scrap heap in 1960, restored at a cost of $6 million, and cast at least 19 times worldwide. The print, part of Simons' Our History, Our Heritage collection, includes an instruction sheet detailing the fountain's journey from its 1855 World's Fair gold medal to its 2007 reinauguration as a gift for Quebec City's 400th anniversary. Tradeoffs: this is an unsigned reproduction on non-acid-free cardboard paper that may yellow over time, and includes a bonded non-removable mat and separate cardstock insert.
Verified claims
- Historical rescue
- After being dismantled and sold for scrap in 1960, the Fontaine de Tourny was bought by Peter Simons in 2003 and rebuilt; Simons invested nearly $4 million and public bodies added $2 million for site preparation and lighting.
- Monumental scale
- A 7-metre, 18-tonne Second Empire fountain with 43 jets, cast at least 19 times worldwide.
- Artist collaboration
- Created in collaboration with Canadian artist Marie-Hélène Cliche, represented by Galerie L'Harmattan.
- Artistic style
- The print is a black-and-white linocut-style inkjet illustration created with Canadian artist Marie-Hélène Cliche; her paper-centric practice treats paper grain and transparency as active elements, translated here onto 280 g creamy white cardstock with a matte finish.
- Artist credibility
- Represented by Galerie L'Harmattan, a contemporary art gallery
- Global cast network
- The fountain model was cast at least 19 times by the Val d'Osne foundry as model 554T, with documented identical casts in Porto, Angers, Soulac, Saint-Quentin, and Geneva.
- Historical provenance
- The Quebec copy of this gold-medal-winning fountain was rescued from scrap and restored as a $6 million gift.
- Award history
- Fontaine de Tourny won a gold medal at the 1855 Paris World's Fair.
- Heritage
- Illustrates the restored Fontaine de Tourny fountain donated to Quebec City for its 400th anniversary.
- Artistic collaboration
- Created with gallery-represented artist Marie-Hélène Cliche on 280 g creamy white cardstock.
- Signature
- The product listing does not state that the print is signed by Marie-Hélène Cliche; a signature is not listed as included.
- Historical context
- Includes an instruction sheet with historical background about the Fontaine de Tourny and its significance; the sheet is described as likely detailing the fountain's origin, its gift to Quebec City by the Simons family, and its role in Quebec City's 400th anniversary.
- Framing components
- Includes a pre-attached bonded cardstock passe-partout (mat) and a separate removable cardstock insert.
- Preservation
- Cardboard paper not certified acid-free; may yellow over time.
- Collection narrative
- Instruction sheet positions print within Simons' Our History, Our Heritage collection.
- Archival status
- The 280 g creamy white cardstock is not specified as acid-free or archival quality, so archivability cannot be confirmed.
- Sculptor and foundry
- The fountain depicted in the print was designed by Mathurin Moreau and cast by the Val d'Osne foundry, the leading 19th-century French art foundry.
- Name origin
- The print's title refers to the fountain's French origin: Fontaine de Tourny is named for the Allées de Tourny in Bordeaux, where the two original casts stood from 1857–58, not for a Quebec place.
Product record
- Title
- Fontaine De Tourny Art Print Our History, Our Heritage Collection
- Brand
- Simons
- Price
- 39 CAD
- Availability
- In stock
Buying Guide
1 comparison · 6 sourcesUses
Celebrating Quebec City's heritage on your walls
This framed art print shows the famous Fontaine de Tourny, the antique treasure offered by the Simons family to mark the 400-year anniversary of Quebec City. Simons suggests adding it to your decor as a way to carry on heritage and highlight a piece of history. The black-and-white linocut-style illustration, presented portrait-orientation with a wide white mat, suits a heritage-themed wall display.[1,2,3]
Product comparison
Compared within this brand.
| Fontaine De Tourny Art Print Our History, Our Heritage Collection: Choose this if you want a framed, portrait-orientation print celebrating Quebec City heritage: a black-and-white linocut-style illustration of the Fontaine de Tourny, created with Canadian artist Marie-Hélène Cliche to mark the city's 400-year anniversary. This Simons-exclusive, Canadian-designed piece measures 8 inches by 10 inches (20.25 x 25.5 cm), printed in inkjet on creamy white 280 g cardstock with a matte finish and a wide white mat plus a removable bonded cardstock passe-partout, with an instruction sheet about the illustration included.[1,2,3] | First Boutique Art Print Our History, Our Heritage Collection: Choose this if you want a Simons-exclusive, Canadian-designed piece from the Our History, Our Heritage collection: an 8 by 10 inch framed print showing the interior of the brand's first boutique, illustrated with Canadian artist Marie-Hélène Cliche of Studio La Marée in high-contrast black and white. It comes inkjet-printed on creamy white 280 g cardstock with a matte finish, set in a frame with a wide white mat and a removable bonded cardstock passe-partout, plus a caption reading La Maison Simons, Depuis - Since 1840 and an instruction sheet about the illustration. Note it is offered in only one size and a single Black and White colorway.[4,5] | Moto Home Delivery Art Print Our History, Our Heritage Collection: Choose this if you want a small-format, black-and-white line illustration with a vintage feel: it depicts the first home delivery motorcycle used in the late 1800s and belongs to Simons' Our History, Our Heritage collection. It is a Simons exclusive designed in Canada, created in collaboration with Canadian artist Marie-Hélène Cliche of Studio La Marée, printed in inkjet on creamy white 280 g cardstock with a matte finish, and includes an instruction sheet about the illustration. It comes in one size, 8 by 10 inches (20.25 by 25.5 cm), in the Black and White colorway, so it suits shoppers seeking a compact heritage-themed piece rather than a large statement print.[6] |
Image Analysis
1 images- 01
Product
Framed portrait-orientation art print with a wide white mat surrounding a black-and-white linocut-style illustration of a multi-tiered fountain. The framed print is centered and mounted flat against a wood-paneled background.
- Overall shapePortrait-orientation rectangular framed print with a wide uniform white mat and a thinner inner reveal around the artwork.
1 region
x 0.12 · y 0.06 · w 0.76 · h 0.88 (high) - Mat and inner revealWide white mat with a recessed inner reveal that creates a visible thin shadow line between the mat and the artwork area.
1 region
x 0.18 · y 0.12 · w 0.64 · h 0.72 (high) - Artwork motifBlack-and-white high-contrast illustration depicting a multi-tiered fountain with multiple arcs of water, trees at left and right edges, and architectural elements in the background.
1 region
x 0.24 · y 0.17 · w 0.51 · h 0.58 (high) - Lower caption blockSmall printed caption block below the illustration, set within the mat area and aligned toward the left.
1 region
x 0.24 · y 0.76 · w 0.28 · h 0.08 (high) - Caption text line 1“LA MAISON SIMONS, DEPUIS - SINCE 1840”Partial
1 region
x 0.24 · y 0.76 · w 0.22 · h 0.02 (medium) - Caption text line 2“Fontaine de Tourny, Quebec”Partial
1 region
x 0.24 · y 0.78 · w 0.22 · h 0.02 (medium) - Caption text line 3“Fontaine de Tourny, Quebec City”Partial
1 region
x 0.24 · y 0.80 · w 0.22 · h 0.02 (medium)
Other
Single framed print photographed centered against a vertical wood-grain wall with soft top lighting that creates a subtle highlight on the background and soft shadowing around the frame edges.
- Background materialVertical wood-grain paneling in warm brown tones, used as the mounting surface behind the framed print.
1 region
x 0.00 · y 0.00 · w 1.00 · h 1.00 (high) - Shot compositionStraight-on frontal photograph with the framed print centered in the image and even margins on left and right.
- Lighting and shadowsSoft directional lighting from above creates a brighter vertical highlight on the upper center of the wood background and subtle shadowing around the lower edge of the frame.
Colors
white· mat and frame border#F5F1EEblack· illustration ink#0E0D0C- Overall shapePortrait-orientation rectangular framed print with a wide uniform white mat and a thinner inner reveal around the artwork.