A Paragon of Precision
(ORIGINAL ART). (TECHNICAL DRAWING). DUFAUX, Victor. Album of original drawings by a student of the École Imperiale d’Arts et Métiers. (Angers: ca. 1860) [67] leaves. (Oblong folio: 318 x 468 mm.) Contemporary pebbled cloth, neatly rebacked, gilt lettering on spine and upper cover. With 67 original ink drawings of mathematical, mechanical, architectural and related subjects, including several heightened with watercolors and three with very detailed watercolors. With two contemporary lithograph leaves laid in, each demonstrating principles of graphic design (probably torn from a textbook). Corners rounded and covers with minor dings and scratches, verso of one leaf with a stain along gutter, a couple of leaves slightly soiled, occasional thumb soiling and other minor signs of use.
An exceptional portfolio of drawings by a talented student of the renowned École Imperiale d’Arts et Métiers, demonstrating precision and technical mastery.
At first glance, one could easily mistake these drawings for some sort of mechanical reproduction and not, as they are, done entirely by hand. In fact, the present work contains the finished drawings of a single student over three years at the École Imperiale d’Arts et Métiers in Angers, including illustrations of ornaments, architecture, geometry, building surveys, machine parts and assembly, topography, hydraulics, and complex mechanics, each executed with needle-thin lines, flawless text, and impeccable attention to detail. A number of illustrations contain pale washes of color to help define shapes and sectors, but three display more accomplished watercolors, including two topographical illustrations and a drawing of an "Appareil d'Alimentation des Tenders" (equipment used to funnel water into a wagon-tank that supplies steam locomotives). The drawings progress from the simple, such as architectural ornamentation, to the complex, including entire hydraulic systems and drilling equipment viewed from multiple angles. The illustrations are all signed by the student, V. Dufaux, and some are also signed by the supervising professor.
In addition to its artistic and technical value, this portfolio is also a visual record of the prevailing pedagogical methods and attitudes toward the acquisition of knowledge in an era of rapid industrialization. As we can see from the illustrations in the present work, mathematics—especially descriptive geometry—played a central role in this type of education, as did the belief that "drawing was knowing," as noted by Brechenmacher. In other words, theory and lectures, while important, were only part of the equation; manual practice—training both the eye and the hand through the practice of drawing—became an essential part of technical education in the 19th century.
The first École d'Arts et Metiers was founded in 1780 by the Duc de la Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, with the purpose of educating the children of cavalry officers. Under Napoleon, the school expanded to include two additional campuses and began turning out skilled draughtsmen and engineers, responding to a growing need for technical expertise and innovation the military and industrial sectors. Although we have been unable to find any biographical information about our student, Victor Dufaux, we can assume that he must have attended courses around 1860 based on the signature of Professor Deries on several leaves. Deries' name is listed as a professor at the École in the "Annuaire des Artistes et Amateurs," published in 1860. (1038)
Further Reading: Brechenmacher, "Knowing by Drawing: Geometric Material Models in Nineteenth Century France," in "Model and Mathematics: From the 19th to the 21st Century," pp. 53-143.
