Extremely rare first edition of the first French translation of one of Kant`s philosophical work.

Kant, Immanuel [Emmanuel] und Hercule Peyer-Imhoff (Transl.).
Observations sur le sentiment du beau et du sublime.

Hatchuel, P. Bibl. Kant en Francais 1. Première édition française dans la traduction de Jean-Marie Hercule Peyer-Imhoff. Portrait de Kant gravé par J. Beniry dit Dubuisson. Pour le portrait : Inventaire du fonds français après 1800, Cabinet des estampes, BnF, 1937, Vol. II, p. 185. [BnF R-12294]Extremely rare first edition of the first French translation of one of Kant’s philosophical work and the second translation of a text by Kant, the others will only be known to the non-German speaking audience during the nineteenth century. In fact, the same year a short political text entitled Projet de paix perpétuelle appeared. Our edition is illustrated with a portrait of the author by J. Beniry, known as Dubuisson. The first edition, written in German under the title Beobachtungen über das Gefühl des Schönen und Erhabenen, was published in 1764 in Königsberg. Our copy is rebound in a full brown morocco binding from The King of Portugal 18th century, spine in five false bands richly decorated, boards framed with roll-tooling and a gilt dentelle as well as a third frame of scroll-work and scallops, royal coat of arms in the centre of the boards. The book contains the philosopher’s first observations – who until then had only published scientific texts – on aesthetics and more particularly the sublime, a concept that will acquire all its significance in Critique du jugement (1790). This, like most of the philosopher’s work, will only be translated during the nineteenth century. «Certainly before 1781, the name Kant was not totally unknown at the University of Strasbourg where some students and professors had cited him in their research or in their courses, and the work of the Berlin Academy, containing the memoires of resolute Kantism opponents, was not completely ignored in France, but it was not until the French Revolution and even the end of the Convention and the beginning of the Directory, that is to say, nearly fifteen years after the Critique de la Raison pure was published, that Kant and his work was beginning to be talked about in France.» (Jean Ferrari, L’œuvre de Kant en France dans les dernières années du XVIIIème siècle in Les Études philosophiques No. 4, Kant (October-December 1981), pp. 399-411). We have not found any mention of this work being offered for public sale with the exception of Baron Talairat’s copy (6 March 1877) and that of Mr d’Ansse de Villoison (3 March 1806).
Sprache: fr