About the person Georges Cuvier (1769-1832, naturalist and zoologist, France) is considered the scientific founder of palaeontology. He paved the way for the fundamental scientific insight that strata containing the same fossils were formed at the same time in geological history. Cuvier is regarded as an encyclopaedic naturalist par excellence, but a collector who literally walked over dead bodies. As well as animal artefacts, his collection included human bones, skulls and even whole skeletons, which were used to test racial theories by comparison. This work is also part of the Zentrum (centre) art tour: North façade, 1863 Art Inventory ETH Zurich, Ki-00007 Further contextual information on Georges Cuvier (1769–1832) Factsheet Sgraffito ETH Zurich, Zentrum, main building North façade, Tannenstrasse Mon–Sun, open 24 hours