Edipo e la sfinge (Roma, 1652): a beautiful, early, almost operatic illustration

Speranza Kircher, Athanasius, 1602-1680. Athanasii Kircheri Œdipvs aegyptiacvs: hoc est, Vniuersalis hieroglyphicae vbeterum doctinae temporum iniuria abolitae instavratio opus ex omni orientalium doctrina & sapientia conditum, nec non viginti diuersarum linguarum authoritate stabilitum. Romae: ex typographia V. Mascardi, 1652-1654. Description 3 v. in 4. : ill. (part double, part fold.), fold. maps, port., facsims. ; 35 cm. Note Added t.p., engr.; head and tail pieces; initials. Vol. 2 in 2 parts, each with special t.p. and separate paging; v. 3 also has special t.p. Colophon of v. 3 dated 1655.