Samfundets Støtter. Skuespil I Fire Akter. Copenhagen: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag (F. Hegel & Søn), 1877.
First edition.
Octavo 211, [1] pp. Original publisher’s cloth, decorated in black, gilt and blind; some light rubbing to spine and corners, a few small marks to back cover, some light toning due to paper stock, but still a very good copy, with a contemporary ownership inscription dated 1877 to fly-leaf.
First edition of this play, an attack on social corruption and the first of Ibsen’s to appear on a London Stage. Originally translated as “Quicksand†when it first appeared in London, it is now more commonly known as “Pillars of Society.â€
“Ibsen’s influence on the whole course of modern drama may be indicated by the inclusion of his plays in the repertoire of every avant-garde theatre of his day – the Théâtre Libre, Paris, 1887, Die Freie Bühne in Berlin, 1887, and The Independent Theatre in London, 1891 – and although on every occasion that they were produced audience reaction was largely a mixture of protest and bewilderment, Ibsen’s revolutionary technique has now become firmly established . . .†(Printing and the Mind of Man)
Ibsen (1828-1906) was a Norwegian playwright known for his scandalous works which attacked Victorian ideals and which are credited with the engenderment of modern realistic drama. His other works include Peer Gynt; Et Dukkehjem [“A Doll’s Houseâ€] and Hedda Gabler.
ID:
3577
$
1,200