Louis XVI giving instructions to the comte de La Pérouse on 26th June 1785, Nicolas-André Monsiau, 1817
Details
This fascinating and most attractive exhibition explores how the French monarchy, from the time of the three great monarchs, Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI, harnessed scientific knowledge as a tool of power and influence at home and abroad.
Venue
The Science museum, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD
Event Organisers
Sarah Bowles and Philippa Barton
Cost
Cost of the visit is £35 - plus Eventbrite booking fee
Programme
2.30pm
Visit to the exhibition Versailles: Science and Splendour with Sarah Bowles and Philippa Barton
From measuring time and space to hydraulic engineering projects of unprecedented scale, scientific culture became very fashionable at the court of Versailles. Highlights include Louis XIV’s stunning planetarium and elipsarium, Louis XV’s famous stuffed Indian rhinoceros and his optical microscope by the brilliant engineer, Claude-Simeon Passemant with its gilt bronze stand by Jacques and Philippe Caffieri, and the unrivalled No. 160 watch by Abraham-Louis Breguet, named Marie-Antoinette, which represents the pinnacle of artistic ingenuity and intricate engineering.
3.45pm
Tea