Contrasts abound: between the humanity the wigless Louis displays in
bed with his children and the distant king in full regalia; the
empty formality of Le Nôtre's marriage and the organic intimacy of his relationship with de Barra; the sparkling facades of the court ladies and the personal tragedies they conceal; and, of course, between the clipped formality of the royal
gardens and the uncontrolled fecundity of the woods beyond.