History of the Collection In the seventeenth century Cardinal Richelieu (1585–1642), minister to Louis XIII (1601–43), had expansive dockyards built at Le Havre, Brest, and Brouage. His intention was to provide research, construction, and maintenance for the French Navy he envisaged as a world power. Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619–83), government minister to Louis XIV (1638–1715), realized Richelieu’s vision, successfully developing a powerful French military and commercial fleet. Colbert also initiated the construction of model ships to teach and record the art of shipbuilding. During the eighteenth century Enlightenment movement, Henry Duhamel du Monceau, Inspector General of the French Navy, consolidated and expanded the collection of machinery and ship models. In 1748, the models were displayed in La Salle de Marine at the Louvre, and in 1827 the collection was opened as a public Musée Naval. On public display ever since, the collection—which continued to document French maritime affairs through the twentieth century—represents the three key legacies of Richelieu, Colbert, and de Monceau: commerce, navy, and science. TOP: Model of La Dauphine, 1736 (detail), after plans by Renoir Cadet (18th century). Wood, bronze, cordage. Related Links French National Maritime Museum Versailles Home Page The Louvre Museum Official French Navy Painters Home Page