L'art de connaitre les hommes par la physionomie (...) augmentée d'une exposition des recherches ou des opinions de la chambre de Porta, de Camper, de Gall, sur la physionomie; d'une histoire anatomique et physiologique de la face; précédée d'une notice historique sur l'auteur

New corrected and augmented edition, after the original French published from 1781 to 1803 in 4 folio volumes. Edition richly illustrated with 600 copperplate engravings hors-texte, mostly full-page, executed under the supervision of the painter Vincent, of which 82 printed in sanguine, some folding.
Half grey cloth. Smooth Jansenist spines with paper title labels. Some fragile headcaps. Paper boards rubbed. Full-margined copy, modest working or temporary binding of the period.
One tear without loss and not touching the engraving on the frontispiece of the volume, some plates partially detached, some light foxing.
The "Lavater" follows in the tradition of all the great works on physiognomy published until then; it is not only their scientific culmination (ridding the discipline of all its esoteric clutter) but it shines through its exemplary illustration (Lavater, friend of Fuseli, took particular care with the drawings). We know the importance this work would have, not only among writers like Balzac, but especially on criminalistic theories, and notably on Lombroso.