The Fountain of Latona: Louis XIV, Charles Le Brun, and the Gardens of Versailles

Latona, the mother of Apollo and Diana, was punished by the peasants for her flight from Juno. Thomas F. Hedin reveals how and why a fountain of this strange legend was installed in the heart of Versailles in the 1660s, the inaugural decade of Louis XIVs patronage. The fountain was designed by Charles Le Brun and carried out by Gaspard and Balthazar Marsy. It is an insiders guide to the leading artistic ideals of the moment, as Louis XIV was viewed as the reincarnation of Apollo.

Format: Hardback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 30 May 2022
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

Ovid's narrative revolves around Latona, the mother by Jupiter of Apollo and Diana. In her desperate escape from Juno's wrath, she arrives on the coast of Asia Minor, weakened and parched. As Latona kneels to drink from a pond, the local peasants, driven by jealousy, not only refuse her but also contaminate the water with malice. Enraged, Latona unleashes a curse upon the stingy peasants, transforming them into frogs. In his profound study, Thomas F. Hedin delves into the intricate details of how and why a fountain of this enigmatic legend found its place in the heart of Versailles during the inaugural decade of Louis XIV's patronage. The natural water supply at Versailles was scarce and cumbersome, requiring the expertise of the king's hydraulic engineers, in collaboration with the landscape architect André Le Nôtre, to harness its potential.

The peasants of Ovid's tale faced punishment for their stubborn denial of water, mirroring the challenges Versailles faced in conquering the rugged natural landscape. The aquatic iconography of the fountain corresponded to the aquatic reality of the gardens, creating a harmonious symbiosis. Latona was meticulously crafted by Charles Le Brun, the preeminent artist at Louis XIV's court, and brought to life by the skilled hands of Gaspard and Balthazar Marsy. During the 1660s, France witnessed a flourishing of artistic theory, and the artists behind the fountain engaged in extensive lectures at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture, delving into subjects that held great significance to their ongoing work.

What the artists proclaimed in their lectures was essentially what they visualized in the gardens. As such, the fountain serves as a valuable insiders guide to the prevailing artistic ideals of that time. Louis XIV was revered as the reincarnation of Apollo, the god of creativity, inspiring artists and scientists alike. Hedin's original argument posits that Latona was a double declaration: a grand tribute to the king and a bold proclamation by artists, asserting their dominance and artistic prowess.

Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780812253757