Gezicht op het Bosquet des Trois Fontaines in de Tuin van Versailles after 1691

Jacques Rigaud made this print of the Bosquet des Trois Fontaines at Versailles in the first half of the 18th century. The printmaking process is itself telling. It’s an etching, meaning that Rigaud would have used a sharp needle to draw into a wax ground on a copper plate. That plate was then submerged in acid, which bit away the exposed lines, leaving an image that could then be inked and printed. This was a highly skilled process, demanding not only artistry, but also craft. Note the careful rendering of the figures, the trees, and especially the fountain. It is shown in full glory, spurting water in an extravagant display. The print would have been made for sale, allowing those who could not visit Versailles to admire its wonders from afar. It thus embodies the paradox of Louis XIV’s regime: an assertion of absolute power that was nonetheless dependent on the marketplace for its dissemination and influence. In the end, the value of this print lies not just in its image, but in its intricate making and social context.