About the artwork
In a naïve, Cubist-inspired style, Jean Cocteau depicts a couple lost in a landscape on a beautiful summer's day. The man, a sailor with an accentuated tan and muscular build enhanced by a sleeveless sailor's hat, is holding a young woman of obvious sensuality. The two seem to be enjoying the moment together, having a drink. A creative force in post-war Paris, Jean Cocteau touched on all the arts. In his drawings, he blends incongruous elements inspired by the Dada and Surrealist movements (such as this couple on a chair in front of a village) with Cubist influences (notably here in the play of colors).
Expert opinion
Masculinity and sensuality converse here with the Dada and Cubist influences dear to Jean Cocteau in his drawings.
About the artist
Jean Cocteau (1889 - 1963) was an emblematic, multi-talented French artist of the 20th century, who left his mark on the world of literature, cinema and the visual arts. He made a name for himself at an early age in Parisian literary circles with the publication of his first poems. Close to the avant-garde, he collaborated with great artists such as Picasso, Satie and Stravinsky, and became a central figure in Surrealism.
He explored art in all its forms, mixing drawing, theater, ballet and writing, with a unique ability to cross the boundaries between disciplines. In his drawings, he depicts his surroundings in a fluid, naïve style borrowing from cubism, mythology and religion.
Elected to the Académie française in 1955, Jean Cocteau was also awarded the Légion d'honneur. His influence endures after his death in 1963, with his work regularly celebrated through retrospectives and publications. A total artist, Cocteau remains a key figure in French culture, having profoundly influenced twentieth-century art and literature.
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