Versailles, a garden in four seasons

The sumptuous palace and gardens of Versailles represented both Louis XIV’s celebration of himself and a perfectly balanced integration of art and nature. Millions of tourists have long admired the gardens for their inexhaustible source of new life and enduring mystery. The allées and parterres resonate with memories of pomps and promenades, feasts and follies. As a monument to the Sun King, the solar symbolism of Apollo reigns over both architecture and ornament at Versailles, yet French classicism dominates the gardens, imposing a strict geometrical order on the forest, shaping the flowerbeds and boxwood, and brightening the bosky depths with fountains and statuary. Photographer Jacques Dubois presents Versailles through the cycle of the seasons and the shifting intensities of their light. His evocative images show the great facades, the stone goddesses, the flowers and pools, the masks, columns, and towering trees transformed by the ever-shifting forces of nature. Brief essays provide historical perspective and insight into the development of this enduring landmark. This gorgeous book will be treasured by visitors to Versailles as well as any garden lover.