John Caspar Lavater; Henry Hunter (traductor)

lotto/john caspar lavater henry hunter traductor essays on 82A4Rs8 632741611 / In vendita

lotto/john caspar lavater henry hunter traductor essays on 82A4Rs8 632741611

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lotto/john caspar lavater henry hunter traductor essays on 82A4Rs8 632741611

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John Caspar Lavater; Henry Hunter (traductor) - Essays on...

DESCRIPTION: I present to you at auction a colossal work weighing 14 kg. It is one of the most ambitious, beautiful, and influential pieces in the history of eighteenth-century illustrated printing: the first English edition of the famous "Essays on Physiognomy" (Essays on Physiognomy) by the Swiss theologian and philosopher Johann Caspar Lavater. This monumental edition was translated by Henry Hunter and published in London by John Murray between 1789 and 1798. THE WORK AND ITS HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL IMPACT Lavater’s Physiognomy constitutes the definitive attempt of late Renaissance and the Enlightenment to codify the relationship between human facial morphology, cranial structure, body expression, and the moral or intellectual character of the individual. Lavater’s central thesis suggested that the mind and the soul manifest transparently through facial features. + Influence on Art and Literature: The treatise revolutionized the Fine Arts. Painters, sculptors, and engravers across Europe used Lavater’s plates as a canonical template to represent emotions, virtues, and vices. Authors such as Goethe (who actively collaborated on the original German edition), Mary Shelley, Balzac, and the English Romantic poets read and absorbed these texts deeply. + Scientific and Pseudoscientific Impact: It was the absolute reference work for decades in early psychology, medicine, and anthropology of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, inspiring later studies such as Gall’s phrenology and Lombroso’s criminology. MEDICAL, ANATOMICAL, AND PSYCHIATRIC IMPORTANCE OF THE WORK Beyond its evident artistic and philosophical value, Lavater’s Physiognomy played a crucial role in the evolution of medical sciences in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, serving as a bridge between traditional humorism and modern neurology and psychiatry: + Pioneer of Psychiatry and Clinical Semiotics: Lavater conceived the face as a visual clinical diagnosis. His analytic method taught physicians of the time to observe with scientific rigor the pathological facies, tics, muscular asymmetry, and expression lines as direct symptoms of neurological conditions, mental disorders, or altered emotional states. + Osteological and Comparative Anatomical Study: The work dedicates extensive sections to the analysis of cranial bone structure (craniology) and facial musculature. Through precise anatomical engravings, Lavater contrasts human cranial formation with comparative animal anatomy, an approach that preceded and fed debates about the classification of the human being in natural history. + Genesis of Phrenology and Criminology: The meticulous topographic schemes of the features in this work directly inspired Franz Joseph Gall in developing phrenology (the localization of brain functions on the shape of the skull) and, decades later, the physician Cesare Lombroso in his theories of criminal anthropology about atavistic traits. + Diagnosis of Temperament: Based on the humoral theory (sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic), the work offers a metric and morphological guide for the clinician to identify the patient’s innate temperament through the nasal profile, chin prominence, or ocular cavity. A MONUMENTAL EDITORIAL ENTERPRISE: ENGRAVINGS AND ARTISTIC COLLABORATION The British edition of 1789 was not a mere translation: from the first day it was conceived as a monument to the art of engraving and large-format typography (Royal Quarto), financed through subscription by Europe’s high nobility and intellect. + The genius of William Blake and Henry Fuseli: Under the artistic direction of painter Henry Fuseli (Henrik Füssli), the work brought together the cream of British engravers of the moment, notably led by William Blake, together with Thomas Holloway, Bartolozzi, Neagle, and Grignion. + About 800 Copperplate Engravings: Across its three volumes (usually structured into 5 physical volumes), the edition houses more than 170 full-page plates and over 600 vignettes, portraits, and in-text embellishments, executed with extraordinary fineness and detail in copper. + Absolute Iconography: The plates include an astonishing repertoire of anatomical studies, somber profiles, cut-out silhouettes, analyses of historical faces (Socrates, Julius Caesar, Luther, Newton, Voltaire, and Jesus Christ), expressions of madness, malice, or genius, and integrations of comparative animal physiognomy. PUBLICATION YEAR: London, England, United Kingdom, 1789–1798. 1st English Edition LANGUAGE: English SIZE AND PAGES: Dimensions: 35 x 29 cm. Pagination: VOLUME I: Title page + [2] + IV + [10] + 281 pp. VOLUME II: Title page + XII + 444 pp. VOLUME III: Title page + [32] + 437 + [12] pp. COMPLETE WORK WITH MORE THAN 800 PLATES AND ENGRAVINGS. CONDITION: Full leather binding, in good overall condition, with some edges and signs of use, as shown in the photos. Spine with six raised bands decorated with gilded lines and motifs. The interior is in good overall condition, as shown in the photos. Very high-quality paper. COLOSSAL FIRST ENGLISH EDITION OF 14 KG. DO NOT LET IT SLIP AWAY. SHIPPING POLICY: Shipping costs are grouped to save you money. Economical shipping with major carriers: Spain --> carried out with: CTT Express 24h or CORREOS Europe --> carried out with: UPS Express 48-72h/FedEx Express 48-72h (Some countries may have longer transit times) United States --> carried out with: UPS Express 48h/FedEx Express 48h (We have been informed by our customers that these carriers are less strict or do not apply the new 15% tax on imported products) China --> carried out with: UPS Express 24h Rest of the World --> carried out with: UPS Express 48h/FedEx Express 48h *The books will be carefully packaged so they travel comfortably to their new home.

Stima:€650

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