First edition in French of an important botanical study by Germany's greatest poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) into the origins and processes of life. His scientific career had actually started at the court of Weimar, where he was summoned in 1775, and where his duties soon included the supervision of mining in the duchy. His main goal was finding a theory to explain all living forms, plants and animals. The Urpflanze, as an Urform of nature, would show - according to Goethe - the diversity of types which had evolved and would help chart the processes of life. His ideas on plant form had a considerable influence on European botany, and some people even considered them a precursor of Darwinism. The present work is a fascinating exercise in probing the "mind of nature" via a study of its phenomena, in this case plant life. As such, it is thoroughly representative of the school of Nature Philosophy. It first appeared in German, in 1790, and Frédéric de Cingins-Lassaraz translated it into French for the present edition.
Very good, untrimmed copy, slightly foxed, and somewhat dog-eared, small tear in front wrapper. Attractive copy of a study on the philosophy of botany by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Pritzel 3452; cf. DSB V, pp. 442-446; Norman Library 913 (first German ed.); Stiftung für Botanik 293 (first German ed.).