Paper

Encyclopédie, ou, Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts, et des métiers
Encyclopédie, ou, Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts, et des métiers
1751-1780

This plate from Diderot's Encyclopédie portrays the final stages of paper-making. The individual leaves have been pressed between blotters and are now ready to be dried. The colorful sheets depicted here represent only the whimsy of the artist who painted this engraving.