May, Georges. “Observations on an
Allegory: The Frontispiece of the ‘Encyclopédie.’” Diderot Studies, vol. 16, Librairie Droz, 1973, pp. 159–74. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/40372425.
May notes that modern studies, especially surrounding literature, are becoming more and more interdisciplinary but points out that scholarship in the Enlightenment epitomized crossovers between disciplines and arts. May claims this is particularly prominent in the Encyclopédie and is represented in the Frontispiece, designed by Charles-Nicolas Cochin, an artist and contributor to the work. He then describes the features of the Frontispiece, the problems they brought, and how it relates to the Enlightenment maxim regarding the search for truth and desire to determine ultimate hierarchy of subjects. He also discusses Diderot’s explanation of the Frontispiece, paying special attention to the aspects that Diderot does not mention and ends with an analysis of the Frontispiece as influenced by the Freemasons.
Basic Information
Country of Publication: Switzerland
Language: English
Decade: 1970s
Main Classification: Frontispiece
Related Sources
*In Progress*
Notes
1. An image of the frontispiece is provided in the article.
Updates
7/13/2020: Created page.