THOTT, Birgitte (trans.); SENECA.

£5,000 · Offered by Peter Harrington · No longer available

Skrifter, som om Sæderne oc et Skickeligt Lefnit handler, oc med Bestandighed i Medgang oc Modgang det at fremdrage underviser. First edition of the first translation of Seneca into Danish, the first complete translation of any classical author into this language, and a pioneering statement of Danish proto-feminism. In her preface, Thott dedicates the work to women, arguing eloquently for women's right to study and access knowledge. Complete copies with Thott's portrait are uncommon on the market.Brigitte Thott (1610–1662) was a Danish noblewoman, scholar, and educator who combined classical erudition with a role as an active champion of women's rights. A monumental volume of almost 1,000 pages, this book is "one of the most eminent books of the seventeenth century" (Alenius, p. 448), not least because it introduced numerous neologism into modern Danish. The book is also often described as a masterpiece of the Sorø Academy for its attractive production, being a large folio printed with beautiful types and featuring two large plates. The portrait is based on a lost painting by Abraham Wuchter; the frontispiece depicts Seneca alongside the Virtues, and Thott sitting atop a pile of books, dressed as the goddess of wisdom Minerva.

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