
1741–1786
Seen here is the famous French Enlightenment philosopher, poet, playwright, satirist, and historian known as Voltaire (1694–1778), born François-Marie Arouet. The conscience of his age, Voltaire remains relevant today; in the wake of the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shootings, his Treatise on Tolerance was brandished in Parisian rallies, leading the publisher Gallimard to reprint the volume in an edition of 10,000 copies.