moss > Les Visiteurs d’ Été: Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier

JUL 25, 2008

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Detail:

Les Visiteurs d’ Été:
Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier

designer:
anonymous

design year:
1881

manufacturer:
Manufacture National de Sèvres, France

materials:
biscuit porcelain

notes:
Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, born in 1743, was the son of a wealthy Parisian lawyer. At the age of 25, based on some early Scientific work, he was elected to the Academy of Sciences, France’s most elite scientific society. In 1775, he was appointed a commissioner of the Royal Gunpowder and Saltpeter Administration, and took up residence in the Paris arsenal. He equipped a fine laboratory, which attracted scientists from all over the world; Lavoisier was at the forefront of the “Chemical Revolution” that was happening in Europe at the time.

Lavoisier made many contributions to the world of Science, including the theory of matter conservation (that matter would be conserved, by weight, through any chemical reaction). He also proved the chemical components of water (oxygen and hydrogen) and laid the foundation down for the classification and determination of the periodic table, still in use today.

Although actively supporting the French Revolution, Lavoisier was guillotined in 1794 because of his association with the Ferme Generale, the agency responsible for the collection of Royal taxes.

dimensions:
height: 11 ¾”

This piece has sold.