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The Fountain of Latona 2022
The Fountain of Latona is a 2022 scholarly work by American art historian Thomas Hedin. It was published by University of Pennsylvania Press as part of the Penn Studies in Landscape Architecture series.
This book examines the original Fountain of Latona (1666–70), a decorative fountain located within the gardens of Versailles. The fountain illustrates the Ovidian tale of Latona and the Lycean peasants. Hedin claims that this fountain functioned as the primary element in a larger allegorical design along the western axis of the gardens. He asserts it expressed admiration for Louis XIV while promoting the superiority of contemporary French artistic achievement. The study contests the interpretation put forward by Nathan Whitman in 1969, which identified the fountain as an allegory related to the Fronde, a series of rebellions occurring in Paris from 1648 to 1653. To support his claims, Hedin draws upon literary records, archival documents, and discussions within the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. He contends that Jules Hardouin-Mansart's 1687 renovation obscured the fountain’s initial form and intent.
The release of this book occurred simultaneously with the restoration of the Fountain of Apollo in 2022.
Details
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania Press
- ISBN
- 9780812253757
- Pages
- 190
- Format
- Hardcover, e-book
- Series
- Penn Studies in Landscape Architecture
