Gezicht op het Île Royale in de Tuin van Versailles after 1722

This print, crafted by Nicolas Jean Baptiste Poilly, captures the Île Royale in the Tuin van Versailles, showcasing the era’s fascination with control over nature. Dominating the view is the fountain, an ancient symbol of life and purity, here transformed into a display of power. Recall the Roman aqueducts, those arteries of civilization, or even earlier, the sacred springs of antiquity. Water, essential and revered, becomes a spectacle, a testament to human ingenuity and dominance. Notice how the figures stroll leisurely, dwarfed by the scale of the landscape. It's as though they are actors in a grand play, their movements choreographed by the rigid geometry of the garden. This theatricality, this staging of nature, speaks to a deep-seated desire to impose order on the chaos of existence. The image evokes a sense of both admiration and unease, a reminder of the complex relationship between humanity and the natural world. It's a dance of control and surrender that continues to resonate with us today.