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Encyclopédie · 1762–1763

Plates

These plates come from the Recueil de planches of Diderot and d'Alembert's Encyclopédie, from scans held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and are in the public domain. The other line drawings on the site were made with AI in the same manner; they are not historical plates.

Engraving of an assay balance in a glazed case: the beam hangs from a stirrup, a pan on a cord rests on the floor of the case, a box of weights stands behind it, and the base has a drawer.
Chymie · Pl. XV, fig. 260 An assay balance in its glass case Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. III, 1763 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of the sun's rays gathered by a large lens and a mirror onto flasks set on stands.
Chymie · Pl. IX, figs. 108–110 Burning lenses and a mirror under the sun Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. III, 1763 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of a human head in profile, the facial nerves branching from in front of the ear across the cheek and temple.
Anatomie · Pl. XIII, fig. 1 The head with its facial nerves Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. I, 1762 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of a tall zig-zag glass column rising from a gourd-shaped flask, its head leading down to a receiver on a stand.
Chymie · Pl. VII, fig. 84 A zig-zag distillation column Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. III, 1763 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of a capped cucurbit joined by a long straight neck to a round receiver.
Chymie · Pl. VII, fig. 82 A cucurbit with a long-necked receiver Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. III, 1763 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of two glass vessels with curved spouts.
Chymie · Pl. VIII, figs. 85–89 Glass vessels Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. III, 1763 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of four cells of Geoffroy's affinity table, each holding an alchemical symbol.
Chymie · Pl. I Geoffroy's table of affinities (detail) Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. III, 1763 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of a compound microscope: a tapering tube rises above a stage held by curved, scrolled legs on a drawer base.
Optique · Pl. II A compound microscope on its stand Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. V, 1767 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of an open pocket watch with its bow, showing the levers, springs and wheels of the repeating mechanism.
Horlogerie · Pl. X, 5ᵉ suite, fig. 6 The striking work of a repeating watch Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. IV, 1765 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of a round watch movement seen from the back: gear trains, a large barrel and a star-shaped wheel inside the case.
Horlogerie · Pl. X, 4ᵉ suite, fig. 1 The movement of a repeating watch with a cylinder escapement Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. IV, 1765 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of a wooden hand press from the side: the tall frame on the right, the bed running out to the left with the tympan and frisket raised.
Imprimerie · Pl. XI, fig. 3 A printing press seen from the outer side Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. VII, 1769 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of a bookbinder's press: a thick screw turned by a bar presses down on a stack of boards between two posts.
Relieur · Pl. IV, fig. 1 A bookbinder's standing press Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. VIII, 1771 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of a nautilus shell sawn in half, its spiral of chambers shrinking toward the centre.
Histoire naturelle · Pl. LXVIII, fig. 13 A nautilus shell cut open Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. VI, 1768 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of a moth with spread wings, an eye spot on each wing and long tails trailing from the hind wings.
Histoire naturelle · Pl. LXXXI, fig. 6 A moth with long tails Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. VI, 1768 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of a human skeleton standing in profile, one hand resting on a stone table and the other raised to its jaw.
Anatomie · Pl. II, fig. 1 A skeleton leaning on a table, in thought Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. I, 1762 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of two globes, each held in a horizon ring on a carved stand.
Astronomie · Pl. VI, fig. 58 Two globes in their stands Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. V, 1767 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of an air pump: a glass bell jar on a round plate atop tall columns, with the pump barrels and crank on a table below.
Pneumatique · Pl. II, fig. 16 An air pump with its glass receiver Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. V, 1767 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of an armillary sphere: interlocking rings around a small central globe, set in a horizon ring on a carved pedestal.
Astronomie · Pl. II, fig. 21 An armillary sphere Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. V, 1767 · BnF, public domain
Engraving of a large quadrant with a telescope along one edge, mounted on a tripod stand.
Astronomie, Instrumens · Pl. XIV, fig. 1 A movable quadrant on a tripod Encyclopédie, Recueil de planches, vol. V, 1767 · BnF, public domain