Gardens of the enlightenment, 1750-1800

FRENCH VERSION

"To unite all times and all places in a single garden" - Carmontelle

Created for Marie-Antoinette, the English garden of the Petit Trianon, blending refinement with exoticism, offered a striking contrast to the jardins à la française of Versailles: a perfect illustration of the "garden mania" that swept across Europe starting in 1750.

Through 250 illustrations featuring paintings, drawings, furniture, garden architecture, costumes, rare books, and photographs, this art and history book highlights the variety of these irregular landscapes and their often eccentric fabriques (follies). In these spaces, philosophical or Masonic dimensions sit alongside the most whimsical exoticism-microcosmic and encyclopedic gardens whose reach is universal, reflecting the world and the ideals of the Enlightenment.

Blending nature and artifice, they unveil the emergence of a new decorative style, revealing a reinvented art de vivre at the crossroads of nature, travel, festivities, and pleasure.

Exhibition at the Palace of Versailles from 5 May to 27 September 2026.

French
368 pages / 250 illustrations

Co-publishing Éditions El Viso / Château de Versailles