Images of the Earth, Images of Man:
The Mineralogical Plates
of the Encyclopédie
Rebecca Ford
Abstract: Despite critical attention having been paid to the illustrative
plates of the massive Encyclopédie project, this attention has been
mainly directed at the illustrations of trades, crafts and arts. The
chapter examines the neglected plates on natural and mineralogical
phenomena, largely drawn to accompany the texts of d’Holbach on
the earth sciences. Not only does this approach enhance and complement our understanding of the Encyclopédie project itself, it also
marks a significant stage in the birth of the earth sciences as a distinct
scientific discipline in eighteenth-century France.
“Il faut tout examiner”, wrote Diderot in his Encyclopédie article
“ENCYCLOPEDIE”, “tout remuer sans exception et sans ménagement:
oser voir.”
1 While here discussing the Encyclopédie’s attitude to
knowledge in general, Diderot’s statement is no less applicable to the
project’s eleven plate volumes. Presented in the 1749 Prospectus as
one of the most innovative elements of the Encyclopédie, their appearance from 1762 onwards assured the project’s ongoing presence
in the public mind while the final ten volumes of text were being
___________________________
1 Denis Diderot, “ENCYCLOPÉDIE”, Encyclopédie; ou, Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des metiers, ed. by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alembert, 33
vols (Paris: Le Breton, Briasson, Durand, David l’ainé, 1751-80; repr. Stuttgart:
Frommann, 1966-67), V, pp. 635
r -48
v (p. 644
v ). Further references to the Encyclopédie
are given after quotations in the text. Spelling and punctuation are as given in the Encyclopédie, although ampersands have been changed to “et”.
The Mineralogical Plates
of the Encyclopédie
Rebecca Ford
Abstract: Despite critical attention having been paid to the illustrative
plates of the massive Encyclopédie project, this attention has been
mainly directed at the illustrations of trades, crafts and arts. The
chapter examines the neglected plates on natural and mineralogical
phenomena, largely drawn to accompany the texts of d’Holbach on
the earth sciences. Not only does this approach enhance and complement our understanding of the Encyclopédie project itself, it also
marks a significant stage in the birth of the earth sciences as a distinct
scientific discipline in eighteenth-century France.
“Il faut tout examiner”, wrote Diderot in his Encyclopédie article
“ENCYCLOPEDIE”, “tout remuer sans exception et sans ménagement:
oser voir.”
1 While here discussing the Encyclopédie’s attitude to
knowledge in general, Diderot’s statement is no less applicable to the
project’s eleven plate volumes. Presented in the 1749 Prospectus as
one of the most innovative elements of the Encyclopédie, their appearance from 1762 onwards assured the project’s ongoing presence
in the public mind while the final ten volumes of text were being
___________________________
1 Denis Diderot, “ENCYCLOPÉDIE”, Encyclopédie; ou, Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des metiers, ed. by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alembert, 33
vols (Paris: Le Breton, Briasson, Durand, David l’ainé, 1751-80; repr. Stuttgart:
Frommann, 1966-67), V, pp. 635
r -48
v (p. 644
v ). Further references to the Encyclopédie
are given after quotations in the text. Spelling and punctuation are as given in the Encyclopédie, although ampersands have been changed to “et”.