Jean Cocteau was a French painter, poet, designer, printmaker, playwright and filmmaker. He is one of the most important figures of French Surrealism, although he always denied being in any way connected to the movement.
Cocteau was born to a socially prominent Parisian family. His father, George Cocteau, was an amateur painter who committed suicide when Jean was only a child. Jean became famous in Bohemian circles as "The Frivolous Prince." In 1912, he collaborated with the Ballets Russes. After World War I, Cocteau met the poet Guillaume Apollinaire and the artist Pablo Picasso. In 1917, thanks to Sergei Diaghilev, a Russian impresario, Cocteau wrote a scenario for the ballet Parade — the set of this important ballet was realized by Pablo Picasso and the music was composed by Erik Satie. In the late 1920s, Cocteau wrote the libretto for Igor Stravinsky’s opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex. In 1918, he met the French poet Raymond Radiguet. They worked and went on many journeys together, and Cocteau promoted his friend's works in his artistic group.
Cocteau is well-known for his novel Les Enfants Terribles (1929) and the films The Blood of a Poet, Beauty and the Beast and Orpheus. During World War II, he created sets for the Théâtre de la Mode. In 1955, he was elected to the Académie Française and the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium. He was commander of the Legion of Honour, a member of the Academié Mallarmé, the Academy of Arts (Berlin) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Find Jean Cocteau art today on 1stDibs.
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Jean Cocteau, Scene XIV, The Infernal Machine, from Theatre, 1957
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Scene XIV, La Machine Infernale (Scene XIV, The Infernal Machine), originates from the 1957 album Jean Cocteau de l'Acad...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Jean Cocteau, Scene XIII, The Infernal Machine, from Theatre, 1957
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Scene XIII, La Machine Infernale (Scene XIII, The Infernal Machine), originates from the 1957 album Jean Cocteau de l'Ac...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Jean Cocteau, Scene XII, The Infernal Machine, from Theatre, 1957
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Scene XII, La Machine Infernale (Scene XII, The Infernal Machine), originates from the 1957 album Jean Cocteau de l'Acad...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Jean Cocteau, Scene XI, The Human Voice, from Theatre, 1957
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Scene XI, La Voix Humaine (Scene XI, The Human Voice), originates from the 1957 album Jean Cocteau de l'Academie francai...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Jean Cocteau, Scene X, Orpheus, from Theatre, 1957
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Scene X, Orphee (Scene X, Orpheus), originates from the 1957 album Jean Cocteau de l'Academie francaise, Theatre, Editio...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Jean Cocteau, Scene IX, Orpheus, from Theatre, 1957
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Scene IX, Orphee (Scene IX, Orpheus), originates from the 1957 album Jean Cocteau de l'Academie francaise, Theatre, Edit...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Jean Cocteau, Scene VIII, Romeo and Juliet, from Theatre, 1957
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Scene VIII, Romeo et Juliette (Scene VIII, Romeo and Juliet), originates from the 1957 album Jean Cocteau de l'Academie ...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Jean Cocteau, Scene VII, Romeo and Juliet, from Theatre, 1957
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Scene VII, Romeo et Juliette (Scene VII, Romeo and Juliet), originates from the 1957 album Jean Cocteau de l'Academie fr...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Jean Cocteau, Scene IV, The Bridal Couple of the Eiffel Tower, Theatre, 1957
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Scene IV, Les Maries de la tour Eiffel (Scene IV, The Bridal Couple of the Eiffel Tower), originates from the 1957 album...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Jean Cocteau, Scene III, The Bridal Couple of the Eiffel Tower, Theatre, 1957
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Scene III, Les Maries de la tour Eiffel (Scene III, The Bridal Couple of the Eiffel Tower), originates from the 1957 alb...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Jean Cocteau, Scene II, The Bridal Couple of the Eiffel Tower, Theatre, 1957
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Scene II, Les Maries de la tour Eiffel (Scene II, The Bridal Couple of the Eiffel Tower), originates from the 1957 album...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Jean Cocteau, Scene I, The Bridal Couple of the Eiffel Tower, from Theatre, 1957
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Scene I, Les Maries de la tour Eiffel (Scene I, The Bridal Couple of the Eiffel Tower), originates from the 1957 album J...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Jean Cocteau, Antigone VI, from Theatre, 1957
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Antigone VI (Antigone VI), originates from the 1957 album Jean Cocteau de l'Academie francaise, Theatre, Edition ornee p...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Jean Cocteau, Antigone V, from Theatre, 1957
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Antigone V (Antigone V), originates from the 1957 album Jean Cocteau de l'Academie francaise, Theatre, Edition ornee par...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Hommage à Jean de la Fontaine, Vingt fables de La fontaine, Jean Cocteau
By Jean Cocteau
Located in Southampton, NY
Woodcut on vélin d'Arches paper. Inscription: signed in the plate and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: from the folio, Vingt fables de La fontaine, 1961. Published by Éd...
Woodcut