Pierre Székely Original Engraving, Sculptor "poême Ciment" Modern Art X 2

Pierre Székely, The Burial of My Word / And the Word Became Flesh, signed print, 1990

A rare print by Pierre Székely, created on a large sheet of Japanese paper folded in four, combining black abstract forms, printed poetic text, and a handwritten dedication in pencil.

A very interesting graphic work by Pierre Székely, conceived as an artist’s folio—at once a visual poem, an abstract print, and a meditative object. The medium—a beautiful sheet of Japanese paper with a visible grain—gives the piece a precious, handcrafted quality. The sheet is folded into quarters, giving it the appearance of a booklet, an abstract altarpiece, or a ritual document.

The composition combines several elements: heavily textured black forms, a printed text titled *And the Word Became Flesh*, another isolated title, *Burial of My Word*, and a signed handwritten dedication. The black forms—massive and rough—evoke stelae, blocks, architectural fragments, standing stones, or imprints of matter. Their irregular surface—heavily inked in some places and incomplete in others—directly recalls Székely’s sculptural world: a taste for the mineral, the archaic sign, the primitive form, and worked material—perhaps blocks of cement engraved and then transferred to paper—as highlighted by the Reims Museum.

The text *And the Word Became Flesh* introduces a powerful spiritual dimension. The work explores themes of the word, birth, faith, hope, love, death, resurrection, and eternity. Here, the word becomes matter, body, trace, and memory. The title *Ensevelissement de ma parole* lends a more somber tone to the work as a whole: the word is not merely expressed; it is buried, laid to rest, as if interred in the dark matter of the image—which may have been created from engraved cement blocks and then transferred to paper

This work is conceived as a dialogue between text and form. The abstract blacks appear as masses of silence, stones of memory, or interior architectures. The white of the Japanese paper plays an essential role, allowing the composition to breathe and accentuating the contrast between the void, the word, and the imprint.

Pierre Székely, born in Budapest in 1923 and died in Paris in 2001, was a sculptor, draftsman, architect, and visual artist of Hungarian origin who settled in France after World War II. His work occupies a unique place in 20th-century modern and monumental art. He developed an abstract language drawing on symbols, minerals, architecture, spirituality, and archaic forms. His work spans sculpture, drawing, monumental environments, public art, and research into materials. This body of graphic work is fully integrated into his artistic universe: it transposes the sculptor’s concerns—ranging from block to trace, sign, space, and word—onto paper.

The dedication to Madame Simonne Vidal, dated June 23, 1990, adds an intimate and documentary quality. It transforms this sheet into a personal work—whether gifted or addressed—rather than a mere anonymous print. The handwritten phrase “with my best wishes for a wonderful life” reinforces the poetic and human dimension of the object.

Condition: generally good condition for a work on Japanese paper. Original sheet folded in four, with visible folds. Slight marks, small spots, signs of handling, irregular edges, and minor soiling from use. The black print, the printed text, the signature, and the pencil dedication are all well preserved. Ideally to be framed under glass, with a mounting that allows the text and the paper to remain legible.

Title: The Burial of My Word / And the Word Became Flesh
Artist: Pierre Székely
Technique: print / black impression and printed text on Japanese paper
Medium: Japanese paper with a fibrous texture
Dimensions (unfolded): 53 × 53 cm
Signature: signed in pencil by Pierre Székely
Dedication: “To Ms. Simonne Vidal with my best wishes for a wonderful life, June 23, 1990”
Date: June 23, 1990, according to the handwritten dedication
Period: modern art / contemporary art, late 20th century