PAINLEVÉ (Jean) - Lot 205

Lot 205
Go to lot
Estimation :
150 - 180 EUR
Bid on drouot.com
PAINLEVÉ (Jean) - Lot 205
PAINLEVÉ (Jean) Paris, 1902 - 1989. Filmmaker, biologist and science popularizer, a major figure in French scientific cinema. Typed letter signed "Jean Painlevé" addressed to Monsieur le Recteur [Gustave Roussy]. Paris, May 5, 1938. 1 page in-4. Printed letterhead: Institut de Cinématographie Scientifique. Elegant letter testifying to the relations between Parisian academia and the world of research and scientific cinema on the eve of the Second World War. Jean Painlevé, who had just taken part in the Sorbonne's "student social week", thanked the rector of the University of Paris, Gustave Roussy, for his invitation to lunch: "...It is naturally with the greatest pleasure that I have lent my support to the students' social week. I thank you for your kind invitation to lunch on a Sunday and will gladly attend...". The letter illustrates Painlevé's active role in disseminating scientific knowledge to the general public and the student world, in a context where cinema and science came together in innovative ways. Founder of the Institut de Cinématographie Scientifique in 1930, Painlevé was a pioneer of the animated scientific image, notably through his films devoted to the marine world (seahorses, octopuses, etc.), which left a lasting mark on the history of scientific documentaries. An interesting document combining university history, cinema and scientific popularization, with a particularly evocative institutional header. Very good condition.
My orders
Sale information
Sales conditions
Return to catalogue