Fountains in the Park of Versailles

The Fountain of Apollo was designed and built by André Le Nôtre for the gardens of Versailles. The bronze centrepiece by Jean-Baptiste Tuby represents Apollo emerging from the water in a chariot drawn by four horses.

•  
  17th century
•  
  in 1713
•  
  ca. 1680

•  
  In the spring
•  
  Ìn the summer
•  
  During the Great Waters show
•  
  During the Great Waters show
•  
  View from further away
•  
  View from further away

The Fountain of the Dragon represents the serpent Python slayed by Apollo's arrows. It was sculpted by the Marsy brothers in 1667–68.

•  
  In the early 17th century
•  

The Fountain of Enceladus represents Enceladus, one of the Giants, being consumed by Mount Etna. It was sculpted by Gaspard Marsy in 1675–76.

•  
•  
  Front view
•  
  View from the back
•  
  Closer view

The Fountain of Latone lies between the castle of Versailles and the Grand Canal. Designed by André Le Nôtre in 1666, it underwent substantive modifications by Jules Hardouin-Mansart between 1687 and 1689. The sculptures by Balthazard Marsy represent Latone turning Lycian peasants into frogs after they refuse to give water to her and her children Apollo and Diana.

•  
  In 1678

•  
  General view
•  
  General view
•  
  General view
•  
  Viewed from the back
•  
  Viewed from the back
•  
  Detail: a Lycian peasant
•  
  Detail: a Lycian peasant and frogs

The Mirror Fountain, which faces the King's Gardens, was commissionned by Louis XIV in 1702. Jean Hardy sculpted the two dragon statues framing the pool.

The Fountain of Neptune was built between 1679 and 1681 by André Le Nôtre, and underwent some changes by Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1736. The sculpted groups decorate the fountain since 1740: Neptune and Amphitrite by Lambert Sigisbert Adam, the sea-god Oceanus by Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, and Protaeus by Edmé Bouchardon.

•  
  General view
•  
  Neptune and Amphitrite

The Fountain of Flora is an allegory of Spring. The statue of the goddess Flora crowned with flowers was sculpted by Jean-Baptiste Tuby between 1672 and 1679.

•  
  The fountain in early summer
•  
  The fountain with water running
•  
  Closer view
•  
  Closer view
•  
  Closer view

The Fountain of Ceres, an allegory of Summer, represents the goddess Ceres seated on sheaves of wheat with cornflowers and roses. The statue was sculpted between 1672 and 1679 by Thomas Regnaudin after a drawing by Charles Le Brun.

The Fountain of Bacchus, an allegory of Autumn, represents Bacchus surrounded by tiny Satyrs, reclining over grapes. It was sculpted in 1672-1675 by Balthazar and Gaspard Marsy.

The Fountain of Saturn, an allegory of Winter, represents Saturn surrounded by putti on a shell-strewn island. It was sculpted by François Girardon in 1672.

The grove of the Triumphal Arch was built between 1677 and 1684. Only one fountain remains from the original three. Sculpted by Jean-Baptiste Tuby, it represents France triumphing over her enemies at the Peace of Nijmegen (1678).

The Grove of Apollo's Baths was originally designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart between 1670 and 1673, reputedly at the request of Mme de Montespan; Hubert Robert produced in 1776–8 a new layout which survives to our day. The marble group Apollo served by the nymphs was sculpted by François Girardon and Thomas Regnaudin in 1666.

•  
  General view
•  
  General view
•  
  The marble group

The grove of the Dolphin is one of the two first groves designed by André Le Nôtre in 1661–3. The fountain represents a dolphin spouting water; the current statue is a copy by Anne Nicole set up in 2004.

•  
  General view
•  
  The dolphin
•  
  The dolphin spouting water

The grove was first designed by André Le Nôtre in 1675, and then modified several times. Its current name comes from the two nearby marble domed pavillions built in 1677 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart.

•  
  General view
•  
  Fountain

The design was first laid out by André Le Nôtre in 1671, and then simplified by Louis XIV.

•  
  General view
•  
  Fountain

The grove was laid out by André Le Nôtre between 1680 and 1683, and inaugurated in 1685.

•  
  General view
•  
  Detail
•  
  Detail

The grove was laid out by André Le Nôtre in 1677 after a design by Louis XIV himself. It is comprises three terraces, each with a different fountain.

•  
  General view
•  
  Closer view
•  
  From the upper terrace