Brussels Hidden Gems: Jeanneke Pis – Is it time to bring Brussels’s pissing girl out of the darkness?
Most visitors to Brussels are familiar with the Manneken Pis. The small statue of a boy urinating on the corner of Rue de l’Etuve and Rue du Chêne, is one of Brussel’s most famous landmarks, has a wardrobe of hundreds of official outfits, and on any day of the week attracts a crowd of curious and amused observers. Replicas of him can be found in every souvenir shop, and few visitors realise he himself is a replica of the original which is housed in the Museum of the City of Brussels.
But what of his little sister?
The Jeanneke Pis, a bronze of a small naked girl squatting to pee, is situated in Impasse de la Fidélité just a three-minute walk from Grand Place, on the north-east side. Standing 50cm tall on a limestone base, she was designed and commissioned in 1985 by Denis Adrien Debouvrie. Known as the Godfather of the city’s centre, millionaire Debrouvie owned several nearby premises and had a vested interest in creating an attraction in the narrow alleyways the Jeanneke calls home. Debouvrie had his throat cut in 2008, in a case that continues to cause speculation, leaving a vast estate of prime but neglected property.
The Jeanneke Pis remains strangely little-known compared to her male counterpart. Whether this is because she’s perceived as a modern commercial creation, because she’s stuck behind protective bars up a dead-end alley, or because of associations with her creator’s dark fate, is anyone’s guess. Her brother has the advantage of centuries of history and is supposedly a symbol of the rebellious spirit of Brussels. Somehow though, the Jeanneke is more gloriously subversive.
The Manneken Pis, with his weirdly muscular arms, one hand casually on his hip, pot-belly, and angelic curls is clearly modelled on Cupid and does not really resemble a child at all. The Jeanneke, in contrast, is wonderfully life-like. Her hair in cheeky pig-tails, her hands on her knees, she’s doing something most women will have yearned to do at some point – and her blithe, satisfied smile says it all.
