Civiltà materiale del XVIII secolo nelle voci dell'Encyclopédie

Abstract

Diderot and D'Alembert's Encyclopédie used to give the same importance both to practical and to theoretical knowledge, according to a typical attitude of the Enlightenment. Historiography has sometimes undervalued this heritage. Today, with the scholars' renovated interest in the history of materiality, the Encyclopédie can be fully recognized as a valid source also for material topics. Through the analysis of entries about turning point objects in material culture – such as porcelain, cotton and galanterie – the author underlines a slower evolution in Eighteenth century material life, in comparison to the one generally indicated by the supporters of the idea of a consumer revolution.

Keywords

• encyclopédie
• materiality
• porcelain
• cotton
• galanteries