Glass Plates.
A set of four 18th Century French copper-engraved plates showing Glassmakers at work.
France, ca. 1770s. During the late 18th century several publishers expanded on the style set by Diderot's famous and influential "Encyclopedie", and issued well-illustrated publications detailing the tools, workshops and techniques of various craftsmen. These plates come from just such a work, which we have unfortunately been unable to identify. The plates were part of a larger series, and are numbered I, XV, XIX and XX. The four plates include two double-page spreads showing workmen engaged in a variety of tasks. There is a single-page plate illustrating a glass-spinning technique that looks, to say the least, a bit exciting, and finally there is a double-page plate illustrating the cavernous interior of a glasshouse. The double-page plates measure 13"x17" (sight) with a matte size of 17"x21"; the single-page plate measures 8.5"x13" (sight) with a 12.5"x17.5" matte. These have not been removed from their mattes for the simple reason that the mattes have been glued down tightly -not at all a proper conservation method, but there you are.
$375.00
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