Passementerie, Façon des Peignes et Développements - Robert Bénard

A detailed eighteenth-century technical engraving from the Encyclopédie, depicting the workshop and tools used in the production of combs.

This technical engraving, titled 'Passementerie, Façon des Peignes et Développements', originates from the monumental 'Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers', edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert. The print is attributed to the engraver Robert Bénard, who produced a vast number of plates for this publication. The composition is divided into two distinct sections. The upper portion depicts a workshop scene, showing artisans engaged in the production of combs, a craft associated with passementerie. The figures are positioned at workbenches within a light-filled room, providing a sense of the scale and environment of eighteenth-century French manufacturing.

The lower portion of the plate functions as a technical manual. It presents detailed, labelled diagrams of the tools and components used in the process, including various wooden joints and specialized implements. These figures, marked with letters for reference, allow the viewer to analyse the mechanical construction of the equipment. The precision of the line work reflects the pedagogical intent of the Encyclopédie, which sought to document and preserve the technical knowledge of various trades for posterity. The print is a clear example of the era's focus on rationalising industrial processes through systematic observation and documentation. The clean, linear style is characteristic of the period's scientific illustrations, prioritising clarity and functional accuracy over decorative flourish. This piece offers a window into the history of technology and the systematic approach to recording manual labour during the Enlightenment.