PASTERNAK (Boris) — Doctor Zhivago. Illustrations by Alexeïe - Lot 223

PASTERNAK (Boris) — Doctor Zhivago. Illustrations by Alexeïeff PASTERNAK (Boris). Doctor Zhivago. Illustrations by Alexandre Alexeïeff, with the collaboration of Claire Parker. Paris, Gallimard, NRF, 1959. Large 8vo, 869 pp., publisher’s illustrated cloth binding with continuous black decoration on a cream background, under transparent Rhodoid, with original green cardboard slipcase. First French illustrated edition, published the year following the original 1958 French translation. A remarkable illustrated edition of Boris Pasternak’s masterpiece, whose graphic design is based on compositions by Alexandre Alexeïeff (1901–1982), created in collaboration with Claire Parker using the “pinboard” technique, a technique the two artists had developed in 1931 for their animated films. The illustrations, often full-page or double-page spreads, give the book a very distinctive atmosphere: snow-covered landscapes, silhouettes, crowd scenes, and architectural details are rendered through a grid of dots and shades of gray that directly evokes the cinematic aesthetic of the pin screen. Copies of this edition are accurately described by booksellers as containing numerous full-page illustrations. The edition had a print run of 10,250 copies: 10,000 copies numbered from 1 to 10,000, plus 250 non-commercial copies numbered from 10,001 to 10,250. This copy bears the number 4662. The text, set in Times type by the Blanchard printing house, and the illustrations, engraved in the workshops of the Société Technique d’Offset, are printed on laid paper specially manufactured by Papeteries Libert. Printing was completed on September 15, 1959, on the presses of the Société Industrielle d’Imprimerie in Levallois; bound by Babouot. Legal deposit: 3rd quarter of 1959. This edition was published under exceptional circumstances: *Doctor Zhivago* had enjoyed considerable success in France, with 300,000 copies printed in 1958—the year Pasternak received the Nobel Prize in Literature before being forced to refuse it under Soviet pressure. A fine copy, complete with its Rhodoid insert and, most importantly, its original green slipcase. Well-preserved illustrated hardcover with crisp decoration. Interior is in very fresh condition. The Rhodoid insert shows some waviness, minor marks, and normal wear, with no apparent significant damage. Original slipcase present, with soiling, stains, and signs of wear, but sturdy. The fact that the dust jacket, Rhodoid cover, and slipcase are all present is a notable feature of this edition.