Plate I of "Travail et emploi du coton" from Diderot's Encyclopedia, Vol. I
Medium
graphic design
Classification
graphic design
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Transfer from the Cooper Union Museum Library
Accession Number
1964-26-10
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the Enlightenment with *Plate I of "Tr et emploi du coton"* from Denis Diderot's monumental *Encyclopédie* (Vol. I, 1762), by Louis-Jacques Gouss (French, 1722–1799). Goussier, skilled draftsman for this groundbreaking 18th-century project, created precise graphic designs that brought the era's scientific and industrial knowledge to life. Published in France amid the intellectual fervor of the philosophes, the *Encyclopédie*edited by Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembertsought to democratize learning, challenging traditional authority by detailing trades like cotton processing. This p...