Live auction - Lot 810
First edition incl. one of Spinoza's masterpieces
Opera posthuma, quorum series post praefationem exhibetur.
[Amsterdam, I. de Paull for J. Rieuwertsz], 1677
Hammer price: €
7.500
€ 2.000 / 3.000
Live bidding (Drouot*) Live bidding (Invaluable*)Bidding is closed
Lot description
4to: [40]-614-[34]-112-[8] pp. (some light foxing).
Contemp. marbled calf, gilt-orn. spine with raised bands, marbled edges (rubbed, some missing on spine, spine and corners skillfully restored). Good copy.
First Latin edition with 5 works (a Dutch translation was publ. the same year) prepared by Jarig Jelles and Lodewijk Meyer (who translated into Latin Jelles’ original Preface in Dutch), incl. the famous "Ethica ordine geometrico demonstrata", Spinoza's most important and influential philosophical work, considered as the first systematic exposition of modern pantheism. What Spinoza intends to demonstrate is the truth about God, nature and ourselves, and the highest principles of society, religion and the good life. Contains also 4 other works: "Politica", "De emendatione intellectus", "Epistolae, & ad eas Responsiones" and (with separated title, signatures and pagin.) "Compendium grammatices linguae Hebreae". General title giving only the author's initials (B.d.S. = Benedictus de Spinoza) and without place and name of printer, in order to prevent the wrath of the censors. Woodcut ornament on title, a few woodcut fig. and diagrams in "Epistolae", woodcut decorative initials. The work was condemned in Holland in 1678 and placed on the Index in 1679. "The "Opera Posthuma" [...] has served, then and since, with the "Tractatus theologico-politicus", to immortalize [Spinoza’s] name" (PMM 153). A later engr. portrait of the author is added in some copies.
Ref. Caillet 10309. - Van der Linde 22. - Kingma & Offenberg 15. - Van de Ven 336, 396-sq. - STCN 841251916.