Apollo’s Baths Grove

The figures rest beneath an enormous rock, with horses set to either side. Apollo is being attended by nymphs after his daily journey as the sun god. The figures visible here are copies after groups made for an earlier grotto at Versailles. The originals moved more than once as the gardens changed and were later placed under cover. The setting now around them dates from 1778–1781. Hubert Robert, a painter who also designed gardens, arranged a lake, cascades and an artificial rock in the fashion for apparently natural landscapes. Compare the uneven rocky outline with the straight alleys outside. The garden creates a different setting for sculptures that had belonged to Louis XIV’s earlier royal programme.