Imprimerie en Taille Douce: pl. I
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 35.4 x 22.3 cm (13 15/16 x 8 3/4 in.) sheet: 44.5 x 29.5 cm (17 1/2 x 11 5/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1996.20.13
Art Historical Context
"Imprimerie en T Douce: pl. I" is a captivating 18th-century French engraving that delves into the intricate world of intaglio printing, technique known as *taille douce* (meaning "soft cutting"). Created between 1771 and 1779 by an anonymous French artist after designs by Robert Benard and-Jacques Goussier—inent illustrators for Denis Diderot's groundbreaking *Encyclopédie*—this plate likely illustrates the tools, presses, or processes central to producing finely detailed prints. Measuring 35.4 x 22.3 cm on laid paper, it exemplifies the precision of engraving, where lines are incised into a ...