The Tour de Nesle was one of the four guard towers along the old city walls constructed in the 13th century under King Philip II. In 1314, a scandal which became known as the Tour de Nesle affair, took place within the tower walls. Margaret, Blanche, and Joan, the daughters-in-law of King Philip IV, were accused of adultery and allegedly used the Tour de Nesle to carry on their affairs. After surveilling the women for a period of time the King ordered the public arrest of two Norman knights, Gautier and Philippe of Aunay, said to be Margaret and Blanche's lovers. The men were tortured until they confessed, found guilty of lèse majesté (crimes against the Crown), castrated, and executed. All three women were tried before the Parliament of Paris, Margaret and Blanche were found guilty, their heads were shaved and they were sentenced to a life of imprisonment. Joan was found innocent.

The tower remained the subject of popular fascination into the 17th century and beyond. Depictions of the tower circulated widely, as much of medieval Paris was disappearing to make room for modern buildings. This pair of views takes inspiration from prints by Jacques Callot engraved circa 1630, with some changes to the boats on the river and the staffage. Shortly after the engravings were completed the tower was destroyed in 1663 to accommodate the Collège des Quatre-Nations, known today as the Institut de France. In 1832 a play dramatizing the Tour de Nesle affair premiered at the Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin, written first by Frédéric Gaillardet and rewritten by the prolific and celebrated author and playwrite Alexandre Dumas. In 1955 the play was reimagined for the silver screen by the innovative French director Abel Gance.