Saturn and Melancholy remains an iconic text in art history, intellectual history, and the study of culture, despite being long out of print in English. Rooted in the tradition established by Aby Warburg and the Warburg Library, this book has deeply influenced understandings of the interrelations between the humanities disciplines since its first publication in English in 1964. This new edition makes the original English text available for the first time in decades. Saturn and Melancholy offers an unparalleled inquiry into the origin and development of the philosophical and medical theories on which the ancient conception of the temperaments was based and discusses their connections to astrological and religious ideas. It also traces representations of melancholy in literature and the arts up to the sixteenth century, culminating in a landmark analysis of Durer's most famous engraving, Melencolia I. This edition features Raymond Klibansky's additional introduction and bibliographical amendments for the German edition, as well as translations of source material and 155 original illustrations. An essay on the complex publication history of this pathbreaking project - which almost did not see the light of day - covers more than eighty years, including its more recent heritage. Making new a classic book that has been out of print for over four decades, this expanded edition presents fresh insights about Saturn and Melancholy and its legacy as a precursor to modern interdisciplinary studies.

About the Author
Philippe Despoix is professor of comparative literature at Universite de Montreal and co-editor of Raymond Klibansky and the Warburg Library Network: Intellectual Peregrinations from Hamburg to London and Montreal. Georges Leroux is emeritus professor in the Department of Philosophy at Universite du Quebec a Montreal, co-editor of Raymond Klibansky and the Warburg Library Network: Intellectual Peregrinations from Hamburg to London and Montreal, and author of Partita for Glenn Gould: An Inquiry into the Nature of Genius.

Reviews
"The majestic Saturn and Melancholy represents a unique interdisciplinary collaboration among three leading humanists of the twentieth century. One of the most venerable and momentous books ever written in the field of Renaissance studies, this new edition is a cause for celebration by scholars and interested readers alike." Laurinda Dixon, Syracuse University
"The reissue of Saturn and Melancholy is a major event that scholars worldwide have long been waiting for: almost as great an achievement as its original publication." Davide Stimilli, University of Colorado Boulder
"I do not believe that the Warburgian spirit has ever been better illustrated." Robert Klein, Mercure de France



Book Information
ISBN 9780773559493
Author Raymond Klibansky
Format Hardback
Page Count 632
Imprint McGill-Queen's University Press
Publisher McGill-Queen's University Press