Painting by French artist Nicolas Lancre “Dancing at the fountain”. The size of the painting is 105 x 132 cm, oil on canvas. In the era of the “gallant” century under King Louis XIV and in later times, the representatives of the salon of the French society loved to organize balls, dances and festivals in nature, in particular, at the fountains in public gardens and parks. A fountain is an artificial release of water, in a jet stream, for convenient dismantling or for decorating public squares, gardens, parks, courtyards, etc.
In many cases, in the form of monumental works of art, fountains serve architectural and decorative purposes, and with the height of the jets and their various combinations significant effects are achieved. The most famous fountains of palace parks: in Russia – in Peterhof, in France – in Versailles and Saint-Cloud, in Germany – the fountains of the Palace of San Souci in Potsdam, in England – the fountain in Sudengem, near London.