Titelblad: Fontaines, ou Jets d'Eau à l'italienne 1661

This print, made by Jean Lepautre in 1661, depicts an Italianate fountain, rich with symbols of abundance and power. Notice the river gods at the base, each reclining with an urn from which water ceaselessly flows, evoking the classical association of water with life and fertility. This motif is not isolated to this fountain; it echoes through the centuries, appearing in Roman sculptures and Renaissance garden designs alike. Consider how the image of the river god, a figure of masculine strength and generative power, resonates with our collective memory of nature's forces. The gushing water, a symbol of purity and renewal, touches a deep, subconscious desire for cleansing and rejuvenation. The motif has mutated over time, appearing in different guises depending on the cultural context. Lepautre's fountain, thus, becomes a stage where ancient symbols are not merely replicated but resurrected, imbued with renewed vitality, speaking to the cyclical, non-linear persistence of cultural memory.