Seal Engraving, from Encyclopédie

Art Historical Context

This delicate engraving, titled *Seal Engraving* by A. J. Defehrt, hails from the groundbreaking *Encyclopédie*, the 18th-century masterpiece edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert. Produced between 1762 and 1777 amid the Enlightenment's fervor for reason and knowledge, it captures the precise artistry of a seal—likely a tool or emblem central to trade, authentication, or craftsmanship. As one of thousands of illustrations in this 28-volume compendium, it exemplifies how prints democratized technical expertise, bridging artisans and intellectuals across Europe. Crafted as an etching on cream laid paper, the work showcases the meticulous technique of the era: Defehrt incised lines into a metal plate with acid, creating fine details that reproduce crisply at 31.5 × 20 cm. Etching allowed for intricate textures and scalability, making complex designs like seals accessible for study and replication. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, this plate (35.5 × 22.5 cm) reflects the *Encyclopédie's* commitment to visual precision over ornamentation. Today, it reminds us of the Enlightenment's radical push to document everyday ingenuity, turning obscure tools into symbols of progress. A testament to collaborative genius, Defehrt's contribution endures as a window into 18th-century innovation.

About the Artist

A. J. Defehrt · 1708–1779

A. J. Defehrt (1723–1779) was a French draftsman, painter, and engraver whose career is best defined by his substantial contributions to one of the most ambitious publishing projects of the European Enlightenment: the illustrated plates of Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert's Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. This monumental project, which aimed t...