Louis XIV Visiting the Royal Academy of Sciences 1671

Sébastien Leclerc I's 1671 etching "Louis XIV Visiting the Royal Academy of Sciences" depicts the French monarch surrounded by scientists and scholars. The scene, set within a room in the Academy with large windows offering a view of a garden, captures the grandeur of Louis XIV's court and the importance of scientific inquiry during the French Enlightenment. The detail-rich composition and the inclusion of scientific instruments like a telescope and a globe, highlight the period's fascination with scientific exploration and discovery.