Extremely Rare with Hand-colored Plates

Idées sur le geste et l'action théatrale; … suivies d’une lettre, du même auteur, sur la peinture musicale. Le tout traduit de l'allemand.

Paris: Chez Barrois, 1788-1789.

Price: $8,000.00


About the item

First edition in French. Avec trente-quatre planches. 34 finely etched plates by Copia, EXQUISITELY COLORED by a contemporary hand. [4], 324; [4], 295 pp. 2 vols. 8vo. Extremely Rare with Hand-colored Plates. Contemporary tan polished calf, triple gilt-filet borders, smooth spines richly gilt with 2 black leather spine label, by Bozerien jeune. Cohen-De Ricci 346-347; Brunet III 982; Magriel, p. 179.

Item #247021

An extremely rare, if not unique copy of Engel’s classic treatise on acting, with the plates colored by hand. This is the very scarce first French edition of Engel’s famous Ideen Zu Einer Mimik, first printed in German in 1785-86, and one of the most important works on the theory and psycho-physiology of acting. Engel (1741-1802) was a German philosopher who was professor of moral philosophy in the Joachimstal Gymnasium in Berlin, and, following that, tutor to the crown prince of Prussia, the future Frederik William III. In 1787 he became director of the Royal Theater in Berlin, where he wrote many plays which enjoyed considerable success, as well as many essays on aesthetic subjects

ONE OF A VERY FEW COPIES WITH HAND-COLORED PLATES.