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2025

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Book Illustration, L'art du menuisier, vol. 1; Élévation dévelopée d'une rampe double, plate 169

This is a book illustration. It was written by André-Jacob Roubo and designed by André-Jacob Roubo and published by Academie Royale des Sciences. It is dated 1769. Its medium is engraving on paper. It is a part of the Smithsonian Libraries department.

Although joiners had enjoyed a comfortable monopoly on furniture production since the 1630s, by the late 18th century their livelihood was encroached upon by more specialized furniture makers. Displaying nostalgia for the ancien régime joiner guild work-ethic, Roubo's text presents a detailed account of joinery, intended for other joiners. He complements descriptions of joinery methods and materials with exact drawings to avoid redundant definitions, in a manner reflective of encyclopedists’ methods. This staircase, in particular, displays Roubo’s belief that solidity and perfection were the highest ideals of his craft.

It is credited Collection of Smithsonian Institution Libraries.

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<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://www-4.collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/68774923/ |title=Book Illustration, L'art du menuisier, vol. 1; Élévation dévelopée d'une rampe double, plate 169 |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=5 February 2025 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>