Late 19th century French spelter figure " La Science" on ebonised socle base. Some signs of wear and discolouration in places, height 35cm. The cultural climate of the later 19th century in France was strongly marked by the current called positivism. The French showed great creativity in pure science and made major discoveries in a wide variety of fields. Among the most notable figures were Louis Pasteur in medicine, Pierre and Marie Curie in physics, Marcelin Berthelot in chemistry, Henri Poincaré in mathematics, and Jean-Martin Charcot in psychopathology. In the social sciences the work of Gustave Le Bon and Émile Durkheim had a broad and enduring impact.