1791 Jean Chevret Diagram and Treatise on a New Religion for Revolutionary France

A unique artifact of French Revolutionary thought, this is Jean Chevret's 1791 diagrammatic presentation of a new religion for Revolutionary France, synthesizing Revolutionary values, Enlightenment idealism, and spiritual cosmology. It is accompanied by Chevret's 28-page essay on the subject in its original manila-paper wraps. Ideologically, it reflects a moment when thinkers sought to map all human knowledge, moral truth, and divine wisdom into a single, coherent framework.

A Closer Look

The cosmogram takes the form of a celestial map, situating humanity within the context of the greater cosmos. It centered around god (Dieu), represented in a Catholic-inspired trinity: Father (Pere), Son (Fils), and Holy Ghost (Esprit). God is associated with the Sun, from which light and wisdom radiate. Orbiting the God/Sun are the planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth (and Moon), Mars, Jupiter (4, with moons), Saturn (5, with moons), and Uranus - here named after its 1781 discoverer, the great English astronomer William Herschel. Even the Great Comet of 1680 (Kirch's Comet or Newton's Comet) is illustrated. Beyond is the celestial sphere, or Zodiac, where Gemini (Mai), Cancer (Juin), and Leo (Juillet) are illustrated. These are surrounded by and interspaced with copious text explaining the interrelation of Reason, Philosophy, and Religion, including quotations from Enlightenment luminaries and scripture, as well as scientific facts and mystical ideas.

The Sum of Human Experience

Jean Chevret's Tableau central des opinions et de l’éducation publique is an ambitious philosophical and educational framework created to accompany his metaphysical treatise De l'Amour et de sa Puissance Supreme, as presented before the Assemblée Nationale on July 18, 1791. Intended as both a visual map of human understanding and a tool for moral instruction, the Tableau attempts to unify nature, reason, and divine revelation within a single harmonious system. Throughout, New Testament quotations are linked to astronomical calculations and the ideas of Newton, Descartes, Voltaire, and others. Drawing on Enlightenment rationalism, Christian theology, and mystical traditions, Chevret presents a vision in which the 'unity and trinity' of the universe's principles reflect both cosmic order and theological truth. The chart outlines the relationship between human faculties - such as reason, will, and emotion - and divine law, emphasizing the role of public education in cultivating not only intellectual development but also moral and spiritual elevation. Part encyclopedic schema, part spiritual cosmogram, the Tableau tries to reconcile philosophy with religion and to present knowledge as an interconnected system governed by universal principles.

Publication History and Census

This diagram was produced by Jean Chevret in Paris in 1791. It was engraved by Jean-Baptiste Marie Poisson and Charles Picquet. The diagram and the accompanying treatise were submitted before the Revolutionary Assemblée Nationale on July 18, 1791. Examples were also sold at shops throughout Paris. Today, it is extremely rare, with fewer than 3 examples known. There is a confirmed example at the Carnavalet Museum, Paris. The Bibliothèque nationale de France digital asset has been populated throughout OCLC, but this does not appear to represent a physical holding.