Influential nineteenth-century French writer (1821–1867) best known for his highly imaginative and experimental verse, including the seminal 1857 collection Les Fleurs du Mal. ANS in French, signed “Ch. Baudelaire,” one page, 5.75 x 4.5, April 22, 1856. Brief note confirming a payment. In full: “Received of Michel Levy the sum of twenty francs.” In fine condition, with central vertical and horizontal folds, and three small tack holes to lower left. Michel Levy was Baudelaire’s publisher, who at the time was working on translations of Edgar Allan Poe; his focus was on Poe’s short stories, and he released his first translated volume in 1856 under the title Histoires extraordinaires. The importance of Baudelaire’s interest in Poe is multifaceted—on a practical level, the translations brought him income in a time of financial distress, as this note suggests. He also admired Poe, regarding him not only as an influence but as a kindred spirit, both of them ‘starving artist’ writers who embraced the fantastic, macabre, and grotesque. Baudelaire’s translations had a broader literary impact as well, considerably contributing to Poe’s popularity and favorable reception in Europe, particularly among the symbolists and surrealists. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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