Le Bassin d’Apollon

In Dom’s edition yesterday, he said  “One of the many things that makes reportage illustration so amazing is the idea that I can sit anywhere in the world, pull out my pen and ink, and draw. “ I couldn’t agree with him more.   Funny thing is the drawing below was just that – done in pen and ink, (a crayon or two) on the spot, while sitting next to Dom in the gardens of the Château de Versailles a few thousand miles from home.

The secret is there’s really nothing as rewarding to a reportage artist than the experience of creating a drawing. It’s in that moment – whether it’s an image, a feeling, a thought, or a gesture – we know the opportunity to discover is priceless.

click for a larger image

So there we were, Dom and I in front of this gorgeous fountain, called  Le Bassin d’Apollon, (a.k.a. The Fountain of Apollo). Like I mentioned before, it stands in the gardens of the Château de Versailles, (home of the Court of Versailles, once the centre of political power in France).  The horses appeared so boisterous as they leaped out of the water’s edge it was irresistible. Not just to draw them, but to try to successfully capture how they felt.

Priceless I say. – Michele

urban trivia: The figure of Apollo at Versailles on the chariot of the sun is an allegorical allusion to Louis XIV who was popularly known as the Sun King because of his belief in the theory that the King was crowned by God and accountable to him alone.