The Adventures of Dr. Faust and his descent into hell. Translation from German with figures. Amsterdam, the associated booksellers, 1798. In-12
(164 x 93 mm) of a faux-title, an engraved title, III, 430 pp., 6 engraved plates; burgundy half-marble with corners, gilded edges (binding from the end of the 19th century).
Cohen-de Ricci, 529 (indicates only 5 plates); Yve-Plessis, 1635 (indicates by mistake 2 volumes).
Extremely rare first edition of the French translation of Klinger's masterpiece, published in German in 1791 under the title Faust Leben, Thaten und Höllenfahrt.
"The myth of Faust in general and the translation of the Gothic work in particular have nourished Gérard's reflection on literary creation, and have had a major influence on his own writings. At a very young age, no doubt, he tried to write an original Faust, whose manuscript has been preserved and which was inspired by the character of Klinger (the man of misunderstood genius) rather than that of Goethe" (Michel Brix. Nerval and the myth of Faust).
The edition is adorned with 6 curious plates, one of which (plate III) shows the Angelic protagonist
, sitting in front of the ancestor of the cinematographer, with whom the Devil is showing him an increasingly erotic scene ("... suddenly makes a cahos paroiter of the most lewd and voluptuous situations of phisic love...").
Very good and complete copy of his boards.
We use cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience, perform site traffic analysis, and deliver content and advertisements most relevant to your interests.
Cookie management:
By allowing these cookies, you agree to the deposit, reading and use of tracking technologies necessary for their proper functioning. Read more about our privacy policy.