Les Bassins

By: Diana Lipang and Elisa Hailu

The Reign of Water

• As part of French tradition, water, in all forms, is the preferred decoration for all French gardens

Latona Fountain

• The sculpture placed in the middle of the Latona Fountain is based on the legend of Diana and Apollo’s mother protecting Latona’s children against the insults of the peasants of Lycia. They called upon Jupiter to take revenge on them, and he did by turning them into frogs and lizards.

• The marble sculpture in the centre of the fountain was originally placed on a rock in 1670 with six frogs coming out of the water and twenty four more on the lawn around the fountain, accompanied by the goddess looking towards the castle.

• Between 1687 and 1689, the sculpture was modified by Jules Hardouin-Mansart who replaced the rock with a concentric marble base and the Latona group facing towards the Grand Canal