Rundāle Palace Museum to host lecture on French Enlightenment in the Baltics

Dr. Sophie Turner, a lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts and guest curator at the Kadriorg Art Museum, will deliver a presentation titled ‘French Enlightenment in the Baltics: Myths and Heritage’ at the Rundāle Palace Museum. The event, held in the Duke's Library, explores the cultural influence of France in the Baltic region through material culture, including artworks, books, manuscripts, and architectural monuments.

The presentation will examine early French collections in Estonian museums and libraries, the National Library of Latvia, and the Rundāle Palace Museum. It aims to uncover lesser-known historical narratives regarding the legacy of French ideas.

Professor Nicholas Cronk of Oxford University and Director of the Voltaire Foundation will also participate, providing insights into the painting ‘The Last Supper of Voltaire’ by Jean Honoré Fragonard. The venue is historically significant as Duke Peter of Courland and Semigallia was a supporter of the Enlightenment, collecting works by Voltaire and Diderot and founding Academia Petrina in 1775.