Senecae [Elzevir/Blaeu] - Tragoediae - 1656

SENECA – Tragoediæ. Amsterdam, Joan Blaeu, 1656. Contemporary full brown calf, decorated with semé fleur-de-lis on the covers, engraved frontispiece.

Duodecimo (approx. 13 x 7.5 cm). Magnificent copper-engraved frontispiece on the illustrated title page, featuring allegorical figures, crowns, and instruments.

Splendid contemporary full brown calf, spine with raised bands decorated with gilt compartments and title labels, covers entirely decorated with a semé of gilt fleur-de-lis within a border of a roll inspired by royal or heraldic designs, speckled edges.

In good overall condition for a work from the mid-seventeenth century, produced by the prestigious press of Joan Blaeu in Amsterdam. Sturdy binding with slight rubbing and minor wear to the headcaps and corners; interior very clean on laid paper, frontispiece with strong contrast.

Printed in 1656 by the celebrated Amsterdam publisher and typographer Joan Blaeu, this classic work brings together the tragedies of Seneca, accompanied by the scholarly notes of Thomas Farnaby—a pocket-sized edition prized by humanists and students of the Grand Siècle.

The chief appeal of this copy lies in its remarkable binding, with a semé of gilt fleur-de-lis on the covers, attesting to a distinguished bibliophilic provenance or intended destination during the reign of Louis XIV.

Joan Blaeu’s classical editions were renowned throughout Europe for the clarity of their type, directly rivaling the productions of the celebrated Elzevir press.