Jean CocteauFrench, 1889–1963A Boy in Profile
May one see it?
Not receiving at present
The Museum of Modern Art
New York, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- Source
- The museum
Particulars
- Accession number
- 813.1969
In the catalog
Sources
- The Museum of Modern Art
- Image: The Museum of Modern Art — © the artist or rights holder
Meanwhile, in the life of Jean Cocteau
The whole life1927–1935
Illustrations for his own books
From the 1920s he illustrated his own writings, building figurative form from minimal strokes: an illustrated edition of “Thomas l’imposteur” appeared in 1927, “Opium” and “Le Livre blanc” in 1930, and in 1935 a portfolio of 60 illustrations for “Les Enfants terribles.”
1928
Publishes “Le Livre blanc” anonymously
He published “Le Livre blanc,” a mildly homoerotic, semi-autobiographical novel, anonymously; he never repudiated its authorship, and a later edition features his foreword and drawings.
1929
The opium cure and the novel “Les Enfants terribles”
During a strenuous opium cure he wrote “Les Enfants terribles” in a week and kept the illustrated diary “Opium: Diary of a Cure”; he was supported by his friend the Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain, under whose influence he briefly returned to the sacraments of the Church.
1930s
A round-the-world reportage for Paris-Soir
He made a journey around the world and reported on it for the newspaper Paris-Soir in “Mon premier voyage: Tour du monde en 80 jours,” a neo-Jules Verne travel reportage.
1932–1934
Living with Princess Natalia Paley
He lived with the Russian actress Princess Natalia Paley; rumours spoke of an affair, but Paley’s biographers regard the relationship as purely platonic.
