Aubin Charles Paillasson André le Breton Michel-Antoine David Laurent Durand Antoine-Claude Briasson

The collective of Aubin Charles Paillasson, André le Breton, Michel-Antoine David, Laurent Durand, and Antoine-Claude Briasson were a significant group of engravers, printers, and publishers active in Paris around 1760. This collaborative entity was integral to the extensive technical documentation projects undertaken during the French Enlightenment, most notably the production of Diderot and d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers.

Their output is defined by precise, didactic technical illustration rather than traditional artistic movements. Their work aimed to standardize and disseminate empirical knowledge across trades and sciences, focusing heavily on applied arts and manufacturing processes. Fourteen of their specialized prints are currently represented in museum collections.

These surviving works detail technical standards, particularly those relating to the printed word. Notable examples preserved in collections include Art of Writing, from Encyclopédie, a foundational piece demonstrating standardized penmanship, alongside plates dedicated to typography and drafting, such as Basic Shapes, from Encyclopédie, Bastard Letters of the Alphabet, from Encyclopédie, and Capital Letters, from Encyclopédie. These historical Aubin Charles Paillasson André le Breton Michel-Antoine David Laurent Durand Antoine-Claude Briasson prints establish a crucial visual record of 18th-century French printing and educational standards.

The importance of this collaborative body is established by their inclusion in major institutions. Their work is held in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago. Given their historical age, these highly detailed technical illustrations are widely available in the public domain, often reproduced as high-quality prints for academic reference and study.