A. J. Defehrt

A. J. Defehrt was a working printmaker active during the mid-eighteenth century, with documented production spanning the years 1740 to 1762. The artist’s surviving output consists primarily of specialized technical and figurative prints, reflecting a period of intense documentation in fields such as the trades and applied arts.

Fifteen works by Defehrt are represented in major North American museum collections, including the holdings of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. These collections confirm the artist’s involvement in significant publishing ventures of the era, notably contributions to the monumental Encyclopédie. Specific documented works from this period include the detailed plates Art of Writing, from Encyclopédie and multiple examples of Card-Maker, from Encyclopédie, alongside the distinct figurative piece, The Little Schoolmistress.

The technical precision evident in A. J. Defehrt prints establishes their importance as historical documents as well as artistic output. Due to their age, many of these historical illustrations now reside in the public domain, making high-quality prints accessible for study and collection.