La Dordogne, Statue in Versailles, France
La Dordogne is a metal statue in the gardens of Versailles, France, made by Antoine Coysevox between 1685 and 1688. It stands on a base near a fountain in the northern part of the garden, showing a female figure with flowers on her head, one arm resting on two upside-down urns, and the other holding a child.
The sculpture was made in the late 1680s as part of the large outdoor decoration program for the royal garden. During the Second World War it was moved away for protection, then brought back to Versailles between December 1940 and June 1941.
The figure belongs to a group of river and stream personifications that decorate the garden, linking each waterway to ideas of regional abundance. Around her, carved fruit, vines, and wheat show the fertility that people traditionally connected to the southern lands the river crosses.
Walk around the base to see the details on all sides, since the face and the child are best viewed from different angles. Mornings are usually quieter here, so you can get a clear view without the busiest crowds.
The larger urn bears the signatures of both the sculptor and the metal founder, Jean-Balthasar Keller. A small figure holding fruit beside the woman is easy to miss when you only look at the main body from a distance.
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