TITLE: French Garden & Hunting Carriage Designs, Diderot Encyclopédie, 1771
DESCRIPTION: Original antique 18th-century copper engraving illustrating elegant French garden, pleasure and hunting carriages, published in the celebrated Encyclopédie of Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alembert in 1771.
The plate belongs to the “Sellier-Carrossier” section devoted to the sophisticated craft of French carriage making. Drawn by Jacques-Raymond Lucotte and engraved by Robert Bénard, it combines decorative Rococo carriage design with precise technical documentation.
The original caption reads:
“Sellier-Carrossier, Carrosses de Jardin et Wource ou Voiture de Chasse.”
Plate XVII presents several different carriage types on a single sheet. The upper figures show elegant open garden and pleasure carriages with richly shaped and upholstered bodies, while the large lower figure illustrates an elongated hunting carriage or “Voiture de Chasse.” Additional plan views and scale measurements document the vehicles’ construction.
The engraving provides a fascinating record of specialized horse-drawn transportation used for leisure, garden excursions and hunting by wealthy European society during the 18th century. The sweeping profiles, carved ornament and upholstered seating are characteristic of the refined French Rococo aesthetic.
Beyond its decorative appeal, the plate is an important historical document of coachbuilding and transportation technology during the Age of Enlightenment.
ARTIST / DRAFTSMAN: Jacques-Raymond Lucotte
ENGRAVER: Robert Bénard (1734–1777)
PUBLICATION: Encyclopédie – Recueil de Planches sur les Sciences, les Arts Libéraux et les Arts Méchaniques
SECTION: Sellier-Carrossier
PLATE: XVII
DATE: 1771
ORIGIN: France
MEDIUM: Original copper engraving on paper
SUBJECT: Garden carriages, pleasure carriages, hunting carriage / Voiture de Chasse, coachbuilding
STYLE / PERIOD: Louis XV / Rococo / French Enlightenment
CONDITION: Good antique condition with overall age-related toning, scattered foxing, spotting and minor staining. Original fold lines, creasing, handling marks and some wear and small irregularities are visible along the margins and edges, consistent with an original engraving more than 250 years old. The engraved image remains strong, crisp and highly detailed. Please study the photographs carefully as they form part of the condition description.
PLEASE NOTE: This is an original antique 18th-century copper engraving from 1771, not a modern reproduction. The print is sold unframed. Framed images or interior views, if shown, are for presentation and inspiration only.
KEYWORDS: Diderot Encyclopédie, Diderot Encyclopedia, Jacques-Raymond Lucotte, Robert Bénard, Sellier Carrossier, garden carriage, hunting carriage, Voiture de Chasse, pleasure carriage, French carriage, horse drawn carriage, antique carriage print, coachbuilding, coachbuilder, carriage design, carriage engineering, hunting, equestrian art, transportation history, French decorative arts, Louis XV, Rococo, French Enlightenment, Arts et Métiers, technical drawing, copper engraving, 18th century France, original antique print, 1771
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