Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von.

Estimate

5,000 - 7,000 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

Zur Farbenlehre (Erklärung der zu Goethe's Farbenlehre gehörigen Tafeln). Tübingen: J.G. Cotta, 1810

3 volumes, 8vo (200 x 120mm.) and 4to (228 x 190mm.), 17 engraved plates, 12 of which partly coloured by hand, plates mounted on guards, contemporary marbled boards, 7 plates from a shorter copy, a few very slightly trimmed at fore-edge without loss, occasional light spotting in text, boards slightly rubbed at edges and joints, spine of atlas slightly torn at head and foot

Provenance

W. Kahl, early signature on title-pages; Robert Lenkiewicz (1941-2002), artist

Literature

Wallis (1977) 210; Hagen 347

Catalogue Note

first edition. The culmination of Goethe's work on optics, this work was a savage, and ultimately unsuccessful, criticism of the demonstration by Newton that white light is composite. Goethe took a psychological view of colour and his chapter on physiological colours (those that depend on the condition of the eye rather than illumination) is considered the most successful part of the work.