An 18th-century French novelist, historian, and clergyman, Abbé Prévost is best known for his novel "Manon Lescaut" (1731), which is part of the French baccalauréat curriculum. His work embodies the tensions between religious morality and human passion that defined the era.

An 18th-century French chemist, Lavoisier is the founder of modern chemistry. He established the law of conservation of mass and identified oxygen, revolutionizing the understanding of chemical phenomena.

French writer, musician, and businessman (1732-1799), Beaumarchais is the author of The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro, two plays that revolutionized 18th-century comedy through their social criticism and complex plotting.

French naturalist and mathematician of the 18th century, Buffon is one of the founders of modern natural history. As director of the Jardin du Roi in Paris, he proposed a groundbreaking theory on the age of the Earth and the evolution of species.

An 18th-century Swedish naturalist, Carl von Linnaeus revolutionized the classification of living organisms. He created a binomial nomenclature system that made it possible to name and organize all known species in a rational and universal way.

Scottish Enlightenment philosopher (1711-1776), David Hume is one of the foremost thinkers of modern empiricism. He grounded his philosophy in observation and sensory experience, challenging rational certainties and developing a sceptical approach to knowledge.

French philosopher, writer, and encyclopedist (1713–1784), a leading figure of the Enlightenment. Co-editor of the Encyclopédie with d'Alembert, he embodies the critical spirit and pursuit of rational knowledge that defined the 18th century. Author of philosophical novels such as Jacques the Fatalist, he helped transform European intellectual thought.

A French writer and scholar of the 17th–18th century, Fontenelle popularized science for the general public. Known for his Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds and his role as perpetual secretary of the Académie des sciences, he embodies the spirit of the Enlightenment.

French writer (1695-1758), pioneer of the epistolary novel in the 18th century. She is best known for her Letters from a Peruvian Woman, a major work of Enlightenment literature that critiques French society through the discerning gaze of an exotic heroine.

German Enlightenment philosopher (1724–1804), Kant revolutionized metaphysics by proposing a radical critique of human reason. Author of the Critique of Pure Reason, he founded transcendental idealism and developed a universal moral theory based on the categorical imperative.

English mathematician, physicist and astronomer (1643–1727), Isaac Newton is one of the greatest scientists in history. He revolutionized science by formulating the laws of motion and universal gravitation, and by developing calculus.

British navigator, cartographer and explorer (1728–1779), James Cook led three major expeditions into the Pacific Ocean and greatly advanced the world's geographical knowledge. He explored and mapped New Zealand, Australia, and numerous Pacific archipelagos, becoming one of the defining figures of modern exploration.

French naturalist and zoologist (1744–1829), Lamarck developed a theory of evolution based on the adaptation of organisms to their environment and the inheritance of acquired characteristics. A professor at the Paris Museum of Natural History, he laid the foundations of transformism, a precursory vision of evolution predating Darwin.

A French naval officer and explorer of the 18th century, La Pérouse led a major expedition across the Pacific Ocean (1785–1788). The voyage produced important cartographic surveys and scientific studies, but the expedition mysteriously disappeared in 1788.

Genevan philosopher, writer, and musician (1712–1778), a central figure of the Enlightenment. Author of The Social Contract and Confessions, he profoundly influenced political and educational thought by championing popular sovereignty and natural education.

A 17th-century English philosopher, John Locke is the founder of modern empiricism and a major thinker of political liberalism. He developed the theory of natural rights (life, liberty, property) and justified the right to revolt against tyrannical power, profoundly influencing democratic revolutions.

A German philosopher and mathematician of the 17th century, Leibniz contributed to the scientific revolution by developing infinitesimal calculus and proposing an original philosophy grounded in monadology. He shaped modern thought through his theory of pre-established harmony and his metaphysical optimism.

Swiss mathematician, physicist, and engineer (1707–1783), Euler is one of the greatest scientists of the 18th century. Prolific and innovative, he contributed to nearly every field of mathematics and physics, despite the blindness that affected him from 1738 onward.

King of France and Navarre from 1774 to 1791, then King of the French from 1791 to 1792. His reign was marked by the French Revolution, attempted reforms, and the abolition of the Ancien Régime. Arrested during the Flight to Varennes in 1791, he was tried and executed by guillotine on January 21, 1793.

An 18th-century French writer, playwright, and journalist, Marivaux is the author of brilliant comedies that explore the games of love and chance. He is known for his elegant style and psychological subtlety in the portrayal of feelings.

An 18th-century French philosopher and writer, Montesquieu is the author of the landmark work 'The Spirit of the Laws' (1748). He theorized the separation of powers, a foundational concept of modern political thought, and contributed to the emergence of Enlightenment philosophy.

French author, politician and pamphleteer (1748–1793), Olympe de Gouges campaigned for women's rights and the abolition of slavery during the French Revolution. She wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen in 1791, a founding document of feminism.

Avocat et homme politique français (1758-1794), Robespierre est une figure majeure de la Révolution française. Chef de file des Montagnards, il domine le Comité de salut public et incarne la Terreur avant d'être exécuté en 1794.

Écrivain et philosophe français du XVIIIe siècle, Voltaire est une figure majeure des Lumières. Il défend la tolérance, la liberté d'expression et la critique de l'intolérance religieuse à travers ses œuvres, notamment Candide.

Compositeur autrichien du XVIIIe siècle, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) est considéré comme l'un des plus grands compositeurs de l'histoire de la musique. Enfant prodige, il a composé plus de 600 œuvres couvrant tous les genres musicaux et incarne le classicisme musical à son apogée.