Erasme & M. Gueudeville / Eisen - L'Eloge de la folie - 1757

Rare illustrated edition of one of Erasmus's most famous works and a pinnacle of European humanist satire -

Written at the beginning of the 16th century, this text adopts the form of a fictitious speech delivered by Folly itself, which undertakes to celebrate its own merits and to demonstrate that it actually governs human life -

Under this ironic device, Erasmus delivers a biting critique of the vices of his time: the vanity of scholars, the hypocrisy of the clergy, the ambitions of princes, popular superstitions, the rigidity of theologians and the absurdities of the social world -

Folly appears as a universal power, ubiquitous in human behavior, not only as a weakness but also as a driver of sociability, of pleasure, of love and even of happiness -

Erasmus & M. Gueudeville / Eisen - The Praise of Folly - 1757 -
xxiv-222 Pages.

Good condition of the binding, work in its full period calf, signs of wear, some minor defects on covers and spine, worn corners and edges, red edges, smooth decorated spine, gilded lettering on a maroquin piece –

Good interior condition, browning, title page printed in red and black and adorned with a superb vignette, pretty headbands, in illustration form, beautiful drop caps, work enriched with beautiful black-and-white engravings outside the text including a frontispiece, marbled endpapers in decent condition, good copy –

Delivery service guaranteed within a few days –