. ▁ ▁Historical ▁context ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁the ▁French ▁took ▁the ▁lead ▁as ▁culture ▁mak ers ▁in ▁Europe . ▁The ▁French ▁courts ▁lead ▁the ▁way ▁in ▁fashion , ▁art ▁and ▁thought ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁Europe ▁looked ▁towards ▁them ▁as ▁the ▁strong est ▁example ▁of ▁culture . ▁As ▁in ▁the ▁r ena issance ▁the ▁world ▁of ▁art ▁was ▁fasc in ated ▁by ▁the ▁‘ anci ents ’ , ▁with ▁An cient ▁Roman ▁history ▁and ▁culture ▁being ▁looked ▁back ▁upon ▁and ▁reflected ▁in ▁the ▁art ▁world . ▁The ▁French ▁Ac adémie ▁royale ▁de ▁peint ure ▁et ▁de ▁sculpt ure ▁( ro yal ▁a cademy ▁of ▁painting ▁and ▁sculpt ure ) ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 8 ▁was ▁a ▁leading ▁force ▁in ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁art ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁strong ▁impact ▁on ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁Europe . ▁The ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁time ▁of ▁huge ▁global ▁expl oration ▁and ▁trade ▁making ▁‘ ex otic ’ ▁places ▁such ▁as ▁Asia ▁and ▁Africa ▁points ▁of ▁interest ▁and ▁fasc ination . ▁This ▁fasc ination ▁with ▁the ▁ex otic ▁and ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁holding ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁outside ▁of ▁Europe ▁was ▁not ▁found ▁only ▁in ▁France , ▁but ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁all ▁over ▁Europe , ▁including ▁in ▁Italy . ▁ ▁The ▁original ▁pla cement ▁and ▁patron ▁of ▁Sci pio ▁African us ▁Free ing ▁Mass iva ▁is ▁unknown ▁and ▁so ▁the ▁reasons ▁for ▁the ▁commission ing ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁remains ▁unclear ▁however ▁looking ▁at ▁the ▁image ▁with ▁ideas ▁of ▁material ▁culture