310462 SPECIAL BOOKS Johann Caspar Lavater. Le Lavater portatif (The portable Lavater). 6th edition. 2 vols. Saintin: Paris, 1815. Vol. 1 (men): Frontispiece (portrait of Lavater in color), title, 92 pp. and 32 color plates. Volume 2 (women): Intertitle missing, pl. 12 bound as frontispiece, pp. 3-96 and 29 color plates. Modern half vellum bindings. 146x112 mm. 1815.

Lavater (1741-1801) asserts in his Physiognomische Fragmente, published in 1775-1778, to be able to determine the character of people from their facies. This theory was hotly debated at the time. At the end of the second part on women, he classifies them by nationality: French women are wiser than men, while German women are gentle, kind and compassionate and Spanish women are disdainful, haughty and vindictive (among others). Russians, Italians and Dutch women also take their toll.

Slightly stained in places, the contemporarily hand-colored copper-engraved plates in good condition and complete (63 in all).  

$ 333.95