Art of Writing, from Encyclopédie
1760
Medium
Engraving on cream laid paper
Dimensions
40 × 26 cm (15 3/4 × 10 1/4 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
148209
Art Historical Context
Step into the Enlightenment era with *Art of Writing, from Encyclopédie* (1760), an exquisite engraving by Aubin. This plate, part of Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert groundbreaking *Encyclopédie*, illustrates the craft of writing—depicting tools, techniques, and practitioners of penmanship in 18th-century France. during a time when literacy was expanding and knowledge was being democratized through print, it captures the meticulous world of scribes and calligraphers, from quill preparation to elegant script formation. As one of over 900 engraved illustrations in the *Encyclopédie*—a...