Various Slanted Calligraphy, 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
148220
Art Historical Context
Created in 1760 by the artist Aubin, *Various Slanted Calligraphy* is an engraving from Denis Diderot’s groundbreaking *Encyclopédie*, one of the most ambitious publishing projects of the Enlightenment. This plate captures multiple examples of slanted scripts, demonstrating the refined techniques of penmanship that were essential for scribes, clerks, and scholars across Europe. As part of a vast compendium intended to organize and share all human knowledge, the image reflects the era’s fascination with practical arts and systematic education. Rendered as an engraving on cream laid paper measu...