Extravagantly proportioned, by the Classical standards of Versailles, this basin extends northwards beyond the rectangle formed by the gardens. Designed by Le Nôtre, and the largest basin in Versailles, it acquired its present appearance in 1741 under the reign of Louis XV, when it was enriched by a group of lead statues depicting Neptune and Amphitrite surrounded by gods and sea monsters (by Adam, Lemoyne and Bouchardon).