The park of the palace of Versailles reaches out from the château as far as the eye can see. The seasons can dramatically alter the gardens in a matter of days, hours or even minutes.
In The Gardens of Versailles, the renowned French photographer Jean-Baptiste Leroux chronicles these variations over the year. He captures the moments when the light suddenly colours the pools and bassins crimson; or when the Pièce d'Eau des Suisses is transformed into a storm-tossed lake by the wind; or when, in the morning haze, phantoms emerge from the Bassin de Neptune.
The author tells the story of the vision that Louis XIV had for the gardens together with the great garden designer André Le Nôtre, the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart and the artist Charles Le Brun - to construct the largest open-air museum in the world, with beautiful fountains and symmetrical pools, secluded copses and long pathways that constantly surprise the walker with new perspectives