Antique Print-LONG HORNED BEETLES-PRIONINAE-Pl. 202-Panckoucke-1798

Subject: Plate 202: 'Prione.' (Prioninae, subfamily of the Long-horned beetles.) Individual insects are mostly named on print.

Condition: Excellent. General age related toning and occasional light staining from handling. Occasional false fold lines. Printer shop soiling. Study scan as this gives good impression of condition.

Medium: Etching and engraving on verge type hand laid paper.

Size (in cm): The overall size is ca. 22 x 29.5 cm. The image size is ca. 16 x 24 cm.

Size (in inch): The overall size is ca. 8.7 x 11.6 inch. The image size is ca. 6.3 x 9.4 inch.

Part Number: 15289

Location: (PCOMAN) C29-11

Description: This set of plates originate from 'Encyclopedie Methodique ou par ordre de matieres ....' published between 1782-1832 by Panckoucke. This set of plates was published as part of the 'Receuil de Planches de l'Encyclopedie, par ordre de matieres. Histoire Naturelle des Insectes Tomes 4-10, 1797-1811 and later.' This encyclopedia is one of the most extensive of all encyclopaedias ever produced. It is in fact a much enlarged and re-arranged edition of Diderot and d'Alembert's Encyclopedie. Its famous predecessor: 'Encyclopedie ou Dictionnaire raisonne des sciences, des arts et des metiers ...' was originally published in folio 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.

Artists and Engravers: Charles-Joseph Panckoucke (1736-1798) was a French writer and publisher, notable for the Encyclopé;die Mé;thodique. His partner was Henri Agasse, married to his daughter Therese-Charlotte, who finished the last 166 volumes after Charles-Joseph died. His son Charles Louis Fleury Panckoucke continued in the writing and publishing business as well. Robert Benard (fl. 1750-1785) direxit. 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.