SENGHOR (Léopold Sédar) - PESSIN (Marc). - Lot 193

SENGHOR (Léopold Sédar) - PESSIN (Marc). New York. [Saint-Genix-sur-Guiers: Frères Gauthier, 1967]. — Folio, 480 x 307: (14 leaves, 13th blank). Loose sheets, in the publisher’s slipcase, covered in black felt. A sought-after edition of this poem by Senghor, excerpted from his collection *Éthiopiques* (1956), illustrated with 6 exquisite cutouts in stainless steel gilded with fine gold, etched with acid, by the engraver and draftsman Marc PESSIN (1933–2022), including one in the center of the front 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 dehumanization (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 publishing world. 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. After exchanging letters, he met the poet at the home of Paul Flamand, founder of Seuil. Pessin presented his project 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 work with 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, numbered and signed by the artist on the colophon. This copy bears the number 55. The copy is in very good condition, despite slight soiling on the slipcase.