The elaborate nature of these garden decorations can be realized from Girardon’s great group “Apollo and the Nymphs.” This is still at Versailles, but it has been moved to the grotto in which it is now to be seen—the so-called Temple of Thetis. But the greatness of the seventeenth-century sculptors of France cannot be properly appreciated from any single work. The keynote of the Louis Quatorze style is the fact that the work was intended to enhance the effect of the room or garden in which it was placed. Alone it is as meaningless as a Greek pedimental group away from the temple it was designed to decorate. A just judgment of the genius displayed in Girardon’s “Apollo and the Nymphs” presupposes a mental picture of the Gardens at Versailles. They were designed by André le Notre. When Louis commenced to rebuild the old château the gardens consisted of two groves. The rest was practically an uncultivated wood. It is told that after André le Notre had satisfied himself as to the general scheme to be followed he laid it before Louis. The king wandered with the great garden-architect through the grounds talking the matter over. As le Notre explained his ideas Louis became more and more enthusiastic. “I give you 20,000 francs,” he cried. André le Notre moved on to another point and developed a new aspect of his scheme. “I give you another 20,000 francs,” exclaimed the delighted Louis. After the third or fourth repetition André began to feel hurt. “Your Majesty,” he said, “if I tell you more you will be a ruined man. You must leave the rest to me.” [Illustration: PIGALLE MERCURY PUTTING ON HIS SANDAL Louvre, Paris] [Illustration: FALCONET L’AMOUR MENAÇANT Louvre, Paris] The results must have more than reached the king’s anticipations. In those days, the gardens were studded with statuary. There was, for instance, the early Fountain of the Dragon. Water spouted from the beast’s mouth to a height of twenty-eight metres. Around sported four dolphins, while the design was completed by the cupids seated on swans, which darted their arrows at the dragon in the centre. Similar groups arose from every basin. Two of these were set up on the terrace. A double flight of stairs, richly ornamented with statuary, led thence to the grounds. Here the wanderer came upon such a beauty spot as the Allée d’Eau, with its border of pines and its hundred and four copper vases set with yew-trees. Throughout the Walk were groups of statues. Or, maybe, he visited Girardon’s “Pyramid.” This consisted of four superimposed basins. The highest was supported on four cray fish, the second on four dolphins and the others on tritons, the lowest tier rising from the four larger tritons who swam in the great basin. The lavish expenditure upon the sculpture at Versailles may be judged from the payment of 1400 livres in 1671 to the painter-gilder Bailly “on account of the gilding and bronzing applied to the _fontaine en pyramide_.” THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY