Goethe – Torquato Tasso (German, ca. 1830–1870)
Author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Language: German (Fraktur type)
Binding: Original 19th-century paper-covered boards, worn; text block intact from page 227 to 420 (final act and epilogue).
Description
This partial volume preserves the closing sections of Goethe’s celebrated verse drama Torquato Tasso, first published in 1790 and widely reprinted throughout the 19th century. The pages are printed in traditional blackletter (Fraktur) on wove paper and show the beautiful typography and mellow toning characteristic of mid-century German editions. The running head “Torquato Tasso” and the concluding Epilog confirm this as part of a collected works set, bound continuously with other Goethe plays such as Egmont and Iphigenie auf Tauris.
Goethe’s Tasso dramatizes the inner conflict of the Italian Renaissance poet Torquato Tasso—his yearning for artistic perfection versus the constraints of courtly life. It stands as one of Goethe’s most refined explorations of the Romantic ideal of the misunderstood genius.
Condition
Worn paper boards and exposed spine; pages complete from 227 to 420 with light foxing and edge wear. A handsome fragment suitable for framing, study, or restoration within a larger Goethe set.
Historical Significance
Printed in German Fraktur during the Romantic revival of classical literature, this edition reflects the continued popularity of Goethe’s plays across 19th-century Europe. Each leaf bears the tactile qualities of hand-press typography and early industrial-era paper.
Collector’s Note
An authentic 19th-century artifact linking directly to the German literary canon. Even as a partial, it offers display and reference value for students of Goethe, European Romanticism, and historical printing.
