Jean-Michel Moreau le jeune; Les Carreleurs (The Tilers); ca. 1763; pen and black ink; gray wash; 4 x 8 x 1 in. (10.2 x 20.3 x 2.5 cm); This is a preparatory drawing for an illustration in the 'Encyclopedie; ou Dictionnaire raisonne des sciences; des arts et des metiers;' edited by Denis Diderot and; until 1759; Jean le Rond d'Alembert. In this landmark achievement of the Enlightenment; Diderot aimed to assemble; critique; and distribute the complete knowledge of the time; including crafts and trades. Distinguished artists such as the draftsman and illustrator Jean-Michel Moreau the Younger observed the activities of artisans and laborers and rendered them in drawings that make the work process legible to the reader. Moreau's description of period detail; his rendering of the streaming light reflected on the back wall; and the view through the open door all make this drawing engaging and meaningful beyond the description of the tile-layer's tasks. As an eyewitness account of the tilers' work; the drawing ennobles labor and emphasizes the benefits of first-hand observation for research and learning.