CASSOU (Jean) (1897-1986) - Lot 317

CASSOU (Jean) (1897-1986) Writer, art critic, Resistance fighter, chief curator of the Musée National d'Art Moderne, member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. L.A.S. "Jean Cassou", s.l. [Paris], Wednesday, July 8, 1960 (handwritten date on verso: 8.7.60), 2 pages in-8. Interesting letter to Roger Pillodin, concerning an editorial or journalistic project. In it, Cassou warmly recommends the candidacy of an intermediary he considers particularly qualified: "An idea has occurred to me as to the valid interlocutor I could have in your dialogue: Edgard Morin. He goes on to paint a particularly glowing portrait of the future sociologist: "He's really the mobile mind, rich, subtle, sensitive, limpid, etc., with whom I've spoken on all sorts of subjects." Cassou insists on the intellectual convergence that could result from this meeting, and believes that there is a strong chance of reaching an agreement: "If you find this agreement and are happy with it (...), it seems to me that we would find a probable reason for agreement in the discussions." The letter ends with a friendly formula: "Yours sincerely". This document is of real historical interest, as it testifies to the esteem in which Jean Cassou held Edgar Morin, who was then at the height of his intellectual career. By the early 1960s, Morin had already established himself as one of the most original figures in contemporary French thought. Cassou's recommendation sheds light on post-war Parisian intellectual networks and the relationships between writers, art critics, philosophers and sociologists. Handsome autograph signature by Jean Cassou. Significant piece bringing together two great figures of twentieth-century French intellectual life: Jean Cassou and Edgar Morin. Condition: very good; mailing folds; slight traces of handling, not serious.