De Poetica - Aristotle - Bauman Rare Books

De Poetica

ARISTOTLE

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De Poetica

“THE GREATEST PIECE OF LITERARY CRITICISM IN EXISTENCE”: SPLENDID BILINGUAL GREEK AND LATIN OXFORD EDITION OF ARISTOTLE’S DE POETICA, 1794

ARISTOTLE. De Poetica. Oxonii [Oxford]: E Typographeo Clarendoniano [Clarendon Press], 1794. Folio, early 19th-century full navy straight-grain morocco gilt, raised bands, elaborately gilt-decorated spines, all edges gilt.

Oxford Greek and Latin edition of Aristotle’s discussion of drama, edited by Thomas Tyrwhitt, one of only 30 large-paper copies reserved for the delegates of Oxford University. “A very elegant and accurate edition” (Lowndes). A beautifully bound and printed volume.

“Aristotle is not only one of the great classical philosophers, the master of every branch of ancient knowledge: his method still underlies all modern thinking” (PMM 38). His Poetics is regarded as “the greatest piece of literary criticism in existence” (Hornstein, 38). “Of all the writings of Aristotle the most widely and intensely studied is the Poetics… He wrote that the effect of tragedy was a purge, like a physical purging of the stomach, of fear and apprehension… He assumes that poetry, painting, sculpture, music and dancing are all examples of imitation, mimesis… ‘Poetics’ really means creative art, or composition of any kind, and it includes in his usage all these branches” (Levi, 408-10).Oxford graduate Tyrwhitt was a noted classical scholar and was ranked “among the greatest critics of the [18th] century” (DNB). This edition was published posthumously and further edited by Anglican bishops Burgess and Randolph. Calling this a “belle edition,” Brunet notes that it was based on James Upton’s 1696 edition of the Poetics. Lowndes, 67. Brunet I:478. Moss I:123. Graesse I:214. Private library label (partially removed); annotations to front flyleaf.

Some staining to bottom margin of preliminary leaves. Beautifully printed and bound.

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