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Secondary sourcePainting1773

Portrait of Montesquieu

1773

A painted profile portrait of Montesquieu, housed in the Versailles historical galleries as part of France's gallery of national great men.

This portrait, kept among France's national historical galleries, depicts Montesquieu and reflects his later status as a celebrated thinker.

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Oval-framed painted profile portrait of a balding older man with curled grey hair, facing left, wearing a golden-brown drape over a white collar. Inscription below reads C. DE MONTESQUIEU 1728.
Portrait of Montesquieu, 1773. Musée de l'Histoire de France, Versailles.

About this source

What it is

This is an oval painted portrait showing Montesquieu in profile, wearing a draped robe over a white collar, with an inscription giving his name and a date. It is held today in the Musée de l'Histoire de France at Versailles.

Why it matters

The painting was chosen to represent Montesquieu among the great figures of French history, showing how the state later honoured his writings and ideas by placing his image in a national collection.

Look closer

  • What does the choice of clothing and pose suggest about how the artist wanted Montesquieu to be remembered?
  • Why might a national museum want to display portraits of philosophers alongside kings and generals?
  • What does this portrait leave out about Montesquieu's actual writing or ideas?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Baron de Montesquieu on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Title page of the first volume of De l'Esprit des loix, printed in Geneva by Barrillot & Fils. Large title in capitals, a decorative emblem with a column and the motto 'EX RECTO DECUS', and handwritten marginal notes in brown ink at top.Book

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De l'esprit des loix (volume III), Amsterdam and Leipzig, 1759

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Title page of a French book: 'Montesquieu. Considérations sur les causes de la grandeur des Romains et de leur décadence', with an introduction and notes by L. Petit de Julleville, huitième édition, published in Paris by Librairie Ch. Delagrave.Book

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Title page of the first volume of De l'Esprit des loix, printed in Geneva by Barillot & Fils. Large capitals read DE L'ESPRIT DES LOIX, followed by a subtitle in smaller type, a rule, and TOME PREMIER at the bottom.Document

Primary source

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