Various Slanted Calligraphy, from Encyclopédie

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 measuring 40 × 26 cm, the work highlights the precision and clarity that made engravings vital tools for disseminating visual information in the eighteenth century. Aubin’s careful line work allows viewers to study the subtle angles, flourishes, and proportions of different calligraphic styles, turning a functional skill into an object of study and appreciation. Today housed in the Prints and Drawings department of the Art Institute of Chicago, this engraving offers a window into the Enlightenment’s belief that even everyday crafts deserved careful documentation and wide circulation.