View of the Park at Versailles: Fishing in Pond Near Grove of Trees n.d.

Editor: So, this is Antoine Pierre Mongin's "View of the Park at Versailles: Fishing in Pond Near Grove of Trees," date unknown, made with ink, graphite, and chalk on paper. It strikes me as rather dreamlike and ephemeral, almost like a memory fading at the edges. What stands out to you? Curator: It’s interesting you say that about memory. Notice the sphinx presiding over the scene. Consider the layered symbolism: in ancient Egypt, the sphinx guarded temples and tombs, representations of wisdom and secrets of the afterlife. Here, within the manicured, artificial landscape of Versailles, what is being guarded? Is it the secrets of the aristocracy, the illusions of their power? The idealized view of nature carefully constructed to reflect their status? Editor: I hadn't thought about the sphinx that way. It just seemed like decoration to me. So, the image itself becomes a symbol, representing more than just a pretty scene. But what about the grid? It is super imposed on the sketch? Curator: Yes, that grid is fascinating. Think of the act of measuring, quantifying. Doesn't it jar against the loose, almost romantic quality of the scene itself? Versailles was a testament to man's control over nature, this is not natural wild landscape after all, is it. That grid enforces that control and rational thought. The attempt to classify and conquer the untamable or organic and emotional. Editor: I see, the grid is another layer of constructed meaning, a sort of… attempt at rationalizing the beauty. I was too focused on the landscape! Thanks, I’m definitely seeing this piece in a new light now. Curator: Indeed. These visual layers give it depth, don’t they?