Allegorisch portret van Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon 1790 - 1816

Nicolas Ponce created this allegorical portrait of Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, in France during the late 18th or early 19th century. As an engraving, the artwork acts as a piece of popular media meant for distribution within French society. The image presents Buffon, a famous naturalist, as a figure of enlightenment. A beam of light shines upon his bust which sits elevated on a column, surrounded by animals. This visual language suggests that Buffon is a beacon of knowledge, illuminating the natural world through scientific study. In this way, the artwork legitimizes the French scientific academy. To understand this piece, a historian might consider the role of scientific institutions in 18th-century France. They might research the relationship between scientific study and colonial projects, or the ways that scientific discoveries were popularized through printed media. The artwork's meaning, ultimately, lies in its social and institutional context.