LAVATER, JOHANN CASPAR.

Physiognomische Fragmente, zur Beförderung der Menschenkenntniss und Menschenliebe. 1., 2. und 4. Bd. (3 von 4 Bde.).

Leipzig und Winterthur, 1775, 1776 u. 1778. Large 4to. Bound in 3 contemp. full mottled calf. Spines with raised bands. Richly gilt compartments. Titlelabels with gilt lettering. Light wear to spine-ends. Top of spine on volume 4 with loss of 2 small pieces of leather. Front inner joint on volume 1 weakening. On all upper covers the crowned gilt monogram of Count A.G. Moltke. 4 engraved titlevignettes. Vol.I: VIII,(12),272,(8) pp. and 60 engraved plates (of 62 ?) - Vol. II: (10),292,(8) pp. and 106 engraved plates. - Vol. IV: XII,490,(10) pp. and 62 plates. With around 350 larger and smaller textengravings. Engravings by Chodowiecki and others. Few scattered brownspots, mainly marginal to some plates. In general a clean wide-margined copy, printed on good paper. A small engraved bookplate with coat of arms on inside frontcovers "Ex Legato Petri Collett". A mall stamp on foot of title-pages "Univ. Bibl. Kristiania Dbl.".

First edition. (Unfortunalely lacking volume III). In this famous work Lavater introduced the idea that physiognomy was related to the specific character traits of individuals.
"The fame of this book, which found admirers in France and England as well as Germany, rests largely upon the handsome style of publication and the accompanying illustrations. The two principal sources from which Lavater developed his physiognomical studies were the writings of the Italian polymath Giambattista della Porta, and the observations made by Sir Thomas Browne in his Religio Medici."

Order-nr.: 55208