The Volumes:
The Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers (English: 'Encyclopedia, or a Systematic Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts and Crafts'), better known as the Encyclopédie was the original general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations. It had many writers, known as the Encyclopédistes. It was edited by Denis Diderot and, until 1759, co-edited by Jean le Rond d'Alembert. It was the most influential & revolutionary early encyclopedia, a founding document of the Age of Reason & the Enlightenment.

The Encyclopédie is most famous for representing the thought of the Enlightenment. According to Denis Diderot in the article "Encyclopédie", the Encyclopédie's aim was "to change the way people think" and for people to be able to inform themselves and to know things. He and the other contributors advocated for the secularization of learning away from the Jesuits. Diderot wanted to incorporate all of the world's knowledge into the Encyclopédie and hoped that the text could disseminate all this information to the public and future generations, an early & epic example of democratization of knowledge.

The work consisted of 28 volumes, with 71,818 articles and 3,129 illustrations. The first seventeen volumes were published between 1751 and 1765; eleven volumes of plates were finished by 1772. Engraver Robert Bénard provided at least 1,800 plates for the work.

The Artist:
Jan Wandelaar (14 April 1690 – 26 March 1759) was an 18th-century painter, illustrator and engraver from the Dutch Republic. Among other famed works, he illustrated and engraved the images for Bernhard Siegfried Albinus's Tabulae sceleti et musculorum corporis humani, the origin of this image.

Jacques Renaud Benard (often called Robert in texts), 1731 - 1794, was a French engraver who engraved more than 1800 plates for Diderot's Encyclopédie, among other famed works.

The Author:
Denis Diderot 1713 – 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the Encyclopédie along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominent figure during the Age of Enlightenment

In 1751 Diderot co-created the Encyclopédie with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. It was the first encyclopedia to include contributions from many named contributors and the first to describe the mechanical arts. Its secular tone, which included articles skeptical about Biblical miracles, angered both religious and government authorities; in 1758 it was banned by the Catholic Church and, in 1759, the French government banned it as well, although this ban was not strictly enforced. Many of the initial contributors to the Encyclopédie left the project as a result of its controversies and some were even jailed. 

On November 3rd, 1749, Diderot was given his freedom. Subsequently, in 1750, he released the prospectus for the Encyclopédie. The Encyclopédie is considered one of the forerunners of the French Revolution.

The Prints & Technique:
Line-engraving or Copperplate engraving is a highly exacting & labor-intensive process for intaglio printmaking. The original drawing is cut into the surface of a copper plate, with shading created by many fine cut lines, or hatching. Before printing takes place, the plate is heated, covered with ink. The warm ink seeps into the finest of depressions and fills the lines and textures of the drawing. The rest of the plate is cleaned off. The copper plate is now pressed with a printing press on to moistened paper which soaks up the ink from the depressions in the plate. The copperplate-engraving technique is very exacting, time-consuming and exhausting for the engraver, who needs a lot of strength for it.

Condition:
Appears to be in Excellent condition for a centuries-old engraving. Very little age-toning for an antique print this old. Appears to be on the original laid, chain-lined handmade cotton fiber paper with lovely un-trimmed original deckled edges.

These prints are very old & may have imperfections expected with age, such as age-toning of the paper, oxidation of the old original watercolors, spots, text-offsetting, artifacts from having been bound into a book, etc. Please examine the photos & details carefully.

Size: 17 x 11 inches approximately.

Combined Shipping:
Multiple prints combine into one USPS Flat-Rate envelope, or these can be combined with larger prints. Ebay should auto-combine multiple prints if you put them in your shopping cart & check out all at once. Or if you purchase individually, & eBay assesses multiple shipping charges for one combined package, I will endeavor to refund the shipping overage asap.

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