5-Antique Prints-SCULPTING-SCULPTURE-MARBLE WORKSHOP-TOOLS-Benard-Diderot-1751

Description Set of 5 plates dealing with the sculpting of marble. The plates show a workshop and tools, also depicted is how heavy marble objects are put into their place. These plates originate from the plate section. Included is a copy with legends / explications. Made by Robert Benard after Denis Diderot & Jean le Rond d’Alembert. Medium: Etching / engraving on hand laid (verge type) paper. Sheet size: 26 x 42 cm (10.24 x 16.54 inch). Image size: 21.5 x 34 cm. (8.46 x 13.39 inch). Condition: very good, given age. Very good. General age related toning; Occasional light staining. Please study scan carefully. General age-related toning and/or occasional minor defects from handling. Please study scan carefully. SCULPTING-SCULPTURE-MARBLE WORKSHOP-TOOLS | (PCOMAN) A100-31 BACKGROUND INFORMATION This old antique print originates from: ‘The Encyclopedie ou Dictionnaire raisonne des sciences, des arts et des metiers, par une Societe de Gens de lettres.’ which was published under the direction of Diderot and d’Alembert, with 17 volumes of text and 11 volumes of plates between 1751 and 1772. It contained 72,000 articles written by more than 140 contributors. This encyclopdia was a massive reference work for the arts and sciences, as well as a means to propagate the ideas of the French Enlightment. The impact of this encyclopedia was enormous. Biography engraver: Robert Benard 1734?1777 was an 18th-century French engraver. Benard is mainly famous for having supplied a significant amount of plates (at least 1,800) to the Encyclopedie by Diderot & d’Alembert from 1751. Several engravers including J.A. Defehrt and Bonaventure/Benoit-Louis Prevost after J.R Lucotte or Goussier worked under his direction. . Biography artist: Denis Diderot (1713-1784) was a French philosopher, art critic and writer. Jean le Rond d’Alembert (1717-1783) was a French mathematician, mechanician, physicist and philosopher. .