Le Labyrinthe de Versailles, LDUT724(33), circa 1675

Author(s): bailly, jacques i (graçay, around 1629 - paris, 02–11–1679), illuminator leclerc, sébastien (known as the elder) (metz, 26–09–1637 - paris, 25–10–1714), author of the model benserade (lyons-la-forêt, 15–10–1613 - gentilly, 19–10–1691), author of the text date of production: around 1675 dating in century: 4th quarter of the 17th century type(s) of object(s): manuscripts, printed matter, binding name(s): manuscript materials and techniques: morocco, gilding dimensions - artwork: height: 18. 2cm width: 13. 8cm depth: 2. 4cm marks, inscriptions, hallmarks: cipher - binding with the cipher and the arms of louis xiv ex-libris - on the 1st white endpaper, two ex-libris: "bibliothèque a. A. Renouard. " and “ex libris léon mercier” inscription - on the color guard: "301" (ink), "s 316" (pencil) inscription - on the 2nd white guard: handwritten inscription in ink: "the quatrains are from the composition of [ch. Perrault: scratched] benserade and the paintings of bailly. " iconographic description: jacques bailly richly illuminated the engravings by sébastien le clerc illustrating the "labyrinth of versailles" by charles perrault published in 1675. These engravings represent the plan of the labyrinth, the entrance to the labyrinth framed by two statues representing love and aesop as well as the 38 fountains of the labyrinth which existed at the time (a 39th was added later), each illustrating a fable taken from aesop :i. The duke and the birds. Ii. The roosters and the partridge. Iii. The rooster and the fox. Iv. The rooster and the diamond. V. The cat and the rats. Vi. The eagle and the fox. Vii. Les pans and le geay. Viii. The cocq and the cocqd'inde. Ix. Pan and pie. X. The serpent and the lime. Xi. The monkey and his cubs. Xii. The fight between land animals and birds. Xiii. The fox and the grue. Xiv. The grue and the fox. Xv. The hen and the chicks. Xvi. The pan and the nightingale. Xvii. The parrot and the monkey. Xviii. The monkey judge. Xix. The rat and the frog. Xx. The hare and the tortoise. Xxi. The wolf and the grue. Xxii. The kite and the birds. Xxiii. Monkey king. Xxiv. The fox and the goat. Xxv. The council of rats. Xxvi. The monkey and the cat. Xxvii. The fox, and the grapes. Xxviii. The eagle, the rabbit, and the snail. Xxix. The wolf, and the porcupine. Xxx. The many-tested serpent. Xxxi. Little soury, little cat, and little cocq. Xxxii. Les colombes and milan. Xxxiii. The dolphin and the monkey. Xxxiv. The fox, and the raven. Xxxv. The swan and the grue. Xxxvi. The wolf and the teste. Xxxvii. The snake, and the hedgehog. Xxxviii. The cannes and the little barbet. Historical commentary: the grove of the labyrinth of versailles was laid out by andré le notre from 1668 in the gardens of the castle on an idea from charles perrault, then in charge of defining the iconography of the royal artistic programs. The thirty-eight fountains that make it up - a thirty-ninth fountain was added later - were built between 1672 and 1674, at the crossroads of the paths, after the installation of the hydraulic network. Each of them, decorated with polychrome lead animal sculptures, rockeries and shells, illustrates an episode from aesop's fables. It is perhaps to make this grove known to a wider public, access to which was restricted by locked gates, that charles perrault published le labyrinthe de versailles in 1675, a work comprising in a first part the description of the iconographic program of the eponymous grove and in a second part forty engravings by sébastien leclerc representing the plan and the entrance to the labyrinth as well as the thirty-eight fountains which existed then with opposite the quatrains composed by isaac de benserade based on aesop's fables to legend the fountains. The copy of the petit palais, provided with a binding with the number and arms of louis xiv, contains only the second part of the work, that is to say the quatrains of benserade and the engravings of leclerc richly illuminated by the painter jacques bailly. The labyrinth of versailles was destroyed in 1775 to make way for an english-style garden which was named “jardin de la reine” in homage to queen marie-antoinette. Bailly's illuminations therefore constitute a magnificent testimony to this astonishing grove of which today only a few vestiges of lead statues remain. C. M themes / subjects / places represented: animal representation, fountain, grove, labyrinth, fable, animal, sculpture, versailles mode of acquisition: legacy name of donor, testator, seller: dutuit, auguste and eugène date of acquisition: 1902 institution: petit palais, museum of fine arts of the city of paris inventory number: ldut724. Date: circa 1675.