This fountain-sculpture was presented to Prince Rainier III by the Monegasque charity “Les Enfants de Frankie” to mark the second World Children’s Day. A plexiglass plaque on the back of the sculpture bears the following dedication: “In 1959, the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was proclaimed...
This fountain-sculpture was presented to Prince Rainier III by the Monegasque charity “Les Enfants de Frankie” to mark the second World Children’s Day. A plexiglass plaque on the back of the sculpture bears the following dedication: “In 1959, the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was proclaimed. This fountain which symbolises it was unveiled on 20 November 2000 by H.S.H. Prince Rainier III of Monaco in the presence of numerous personalities. Each pebble represents their desire to support children all over the world”. The clown figure is surrounded by five children, representing the continents. Water, symbolising purity and fluidity, flows to the pebbles signed by personalities who work to uphold the rights of children, including Shirley Bassey, Andrea Bocelli, Ringo Starr, David Coulthard, Jean-Michel Folon, Claudia Schiffer, and Kees Verkade. Another plaque includes a shortened ten-point version of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 20 November 1959.
Franco Maschio is an Italian sculptor born in 1954 in Majano, near Udine in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. He works with stone, metal, and particularly wood, at his studio in the Majano countryside. He has developed a personal language, seeking experiences beyond the frontiers of his region. Most of his sculptures are small in size. This monumental piece, on display in Monaco, is therefore something of an exception for the Italian artist. He has participated in numerous competitions, with his sculptures winning prestigious prizes. His works can be admired in Europe, Canada, and the United States.
