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193 - SENGHOR (Léopold Sédar) – PESSIN (Marc).
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Estimate €800 - €1,200
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Description
SENGHOR (Léopold Sédar) – PESSIN (Marc). New York. [Saint-Genix-sur-Guiers: Frères Gauthier, 1967]. — Folio, 480 x 307: (14 leaves, 13th blank). Unbound, in the publisher’s slipcase, covered in black felt. A sought-after edition of this poem by Senghor, taken from his collection *Éthiopiques* (1956), illustrated with six exquisite cut-outs in stainless steel gilded with fine gold, etched with acid, by the engraver and draughtsman Marc PESSIN (1933–2022), including one in the centre of the first endpaper and five full-page pieces. This poem is a hymn to Negritude: in it, Senghor expresses both his wonder at New York (skyscrapers, lights) and his disillusionment with its dehumanising nature (coldness, loneliness). But it is in Harlem, through its vibrant African culture, that he finds hope for renewal: the Black people, through their art and vitality, can restore a soul to a disembodied Western world. This book marks Marc Pessin’s debut in the world of publishing. Trained as an engraver, it was in 1965, after settling in Saint-Laurent-du-Pont in Isère and founding his publishing house, ‘Le Verbe et l’Empreinte’, that his collaboration with Senghor took shape. Following an exchange of letters, he met the poet at the home of Paul Flamand, founder of Seuil. Pessin presented his proposal for an illustrated edition of *New York* to Senghor, who was won over and gave his approval. This prestigious encounter opened the doors for Pessin to the greatest names in world literature, such as Aragon, Borges, Michaux, García Lorca, Saint-John Perse, and many others. The edition was printed in a run of 150 copies on Richard de Bas paper, each numbered and signed by the artist on the flyleaf. This copy bears the number 55. A very well-preserved copy, despite some slight soiling on the slipcase.
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About the sale Claude Mozis Library – Black Africa and the African diaspora
Auction location
Auction time 10/21/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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