Fountain c. 1770

Curator: Here we have Jean Laurent Legeay’s “Fountain,” an etching held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's wonderfully theatrical, isn’t it? Like a stage set for a mythological drama. The figures seem poised, almost frozen in place. Curator: Legeay, a French artist active in the 18th century, was known for his architectural fantasies. His artistic output definitely helped shape the visual culture of his time. Editor: It feels like a dream of a fountain. I love how the water seems to defy gravity. It makes me think about the power of imagination to reshape reality. Curator: Consider the context of garden design in the 18th century. Fountains were more than just water features; they were statements of power, wealth, and aesthetic refinement. Legeay amplifies that statement. Editor: I get a sense of longing for a lost world, a world of nymphs and gods. Curator: That's the power of art: to transport us to other times, other places, other realities. Editor: Yes, to conjure the sublime from the mundane.