Jean Cocteau, One Head, Two Races, from Bulls, 1965 (after)
1965

$796

$99520% Off

£608.59

£760.7420% Off

€697.29

€871.6120% Off

CA$1,122.76

CA$1,403.4520% Off

A$1,222.40

A$1,52820% Off

CHF 652.72

CHF 815.9120% Off

MX$14,756.32

MX$18,445.4020% Off

NOK 8,205.91

NOK 10,257.3920% Off

SEK 7,632.45

SEK 9,540.5720% Off

DKK 5,208.39

DKK 6,510.4820% Off

About the Item

This exquisite lithograph after Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Une tete, deux races (One Head, Two Races), from the folio Taureaux, Lithographies de Jean Cocteau (Bulls, Lithographs by Jean Cocteau), originates from the 1965 edition published by Editions Michele Trinckvel, Paris, and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, July 1965. The composition captures Cocteau’s refined graphic sensibility, where poetic minimalism and mythic symbolism merge into a study of form, line, and rhythm. Executed as a lithograph on velin de Rives paper, this work measures 15 x 11 inches. Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the superb craftsmanship of Mourlot Freres and the enduring creative legacy of Cocteau’s late period. Artwork Details: Artist: After Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) Title: Une tete, deux races (One Head, Two Races), from the folio Taureaux, Lithographies de Jean Cocteau (Bulls, Lithographs by Jean Cocteau) Medium: Lithograph on velin de Rives paper Dimensions: 15 x 11 inches (38.1 x 27.94 cm) Inscription: Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued Date: 1965 Publisher: Editions Michele Trinckvel, Paris Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium Provenance: From the folio Taureaux, Lithographies de Jean Cocteau, published by Editions Michele Trinckvel, Paris, and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, July 1965 Notes: Excerpted from the folio (translated from French), Taureaux pour Pedres, Curro Romero el Cordobes, of which this album constitutes the original edition. It was completed to print in July 1965 by Dominique Viglino in Bourg-la-Reine. The lithographies were shot on the presses of Fernand Mourlot in Paris. The title and letters have been engraved on boxwood by Henri Renaud. Justification of the draw, XVI examples on Japon nacre with an original color drawing of Jean Cocteau, a suite of the illustrations on grand velin d'Arches and a suite on grande velin de Rives, numbered from I to XVI. XVI examples on Japon nacre with an original drawing in black or sepia by Jean Cocteau, a suite of illustrations on large velin d'Arches and a suite on large velin de Rives, numbered from XVII to XXXII. XLVIII examples on velin de Rives with a series of illustrations on grand velin d'Arches, numbered from XXXII to LXXX. CXX examples on velin de Rives including the final state of the illustrations, numbered from LXXXI to CC. In addition, some examples reserved for the collaborators of the edition were drawn. About the Publication: Taureaux, Lithographies de Jean Cocteau (Bulls, Lithographs by Jean Cocteau) was published in 1965 by Editions Michele Trinckvel, Paris, with printing completed by Fernand Mourlot, the legendary Parisian atelier synonymous with the revival of fine art lithography in the 20th century. Conceived as a visual and literary homage to the pageantry and ritual of the bullfight, the album pairs Cocteau’s lyrical draftsmanship with his lifelong fascination with myth, theater, and movement. The text, engraved on boxwood by Henri Renaud, complements Cocteau’s flowing line, fusing poetry and image in a manner that recalls both his cinematic sensibility and his collaborations with Picasso and Diaghilev. The folio’s various states—printed on Japon nacre, velin d’Arches, and velin de Rives—reflect the meticulous attention to paper and process that defined Trinckvel’s publishing house. As one of the final lithographic cycles produced posthumously from Cocteau’s drawings, Taureaux represents the culmination of the artist’s lifelong pursuit of clarity, grace, and motion in line. The portfolio stands as a testament to the enduring dialogue between art, literature, and ritual in Cocteau’s oeuvre—an embodiment of his belief that art must transform the real into the poetic through simplicity and truth of expression. About the Artist: Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) was a French artist, poet, playwright, filmmaker, and designer whose boundless imagination and multidisciplinary genius made him one of the most influential cultural figures of the 20th century. Born in Maisons-Laffitte near Paris, Cocteau emerged as a prodigy whose creative energy spanned literature, cinema, theater, music, and the visual arts, reshaping modern creativity through his conviction that beauty, myth, and imagination were universal languages. A central figure of the Parisian avant-garde, he moved among and collaborated with Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray—artists who, like Cocteau, were revolutionizing modern thought through bold experimentation. His early collaboration with Picasso and Erik Satie on Parade (1917) for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes signaled a new era of interdisciplinary art, merging music, design, and theater into a total work of imagination. Cocteau’s visual art—characterized by fluid line drawings, mythological motifs, and lyrical simplicity—revealed a mastery of composition that blended classical elegance with modern abstraction. His murals for the Chapelle Saint-Pierre in Villefranche-sur-Mer and the Chapelle Saint-Blaise-des-Simples in Milly-la-Foret stand among the great achievements of sacred modern art, balancing spirituality and modernist form with serene clarity. Equally revolutionary were his contributions to literature and film: his novels (Les Enfants Terribles), plays (La Machine Infernale, Les Parents Terribles), and films (La Belle et la Bete, Orphee, Le Testament d’Orphee) established him as one of the founding visionaries of poetic cinema, influencing filmmakers such as Federico Fellini, Jean-Luc Godard, David Lynch, and Guillermo del Toro. In fashion and theater, his collaborations with Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Elsa Schiaparelli merged art and couture, expanding his influence beyond the visual and literary arts. His friendship with Jean Marais inspired some of his most intimate works, while his portraits and ceramics revealed a wit and grace that elevated simplicity to transcendence. Cocteau’s aesthetic bridged classical myth and modern psychology, dream and reality, light and line—an approach that inspired later artists from Andy Warhol, David Bowie, and Jean-Michel Basquiat to Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. His works are held in major museums including the Centre Pompidou, the Musee Jean Cocteau in Menton, the Tate, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and his enduring appeal lies in his ability to unite art forms through poetry, elegance, and imagination. Standing alongside Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, Cocteau remains a beacon of creative synthesis whose influence continues to shape modern art, film, and design. His highest auction record was achieved by Jean Marais dans “La Belle et la Bete” (1946), which sold for $611,622 at Sotheby’s, Paris, on October 18, 2023, reaffirming his enduring legacy as one of the most visionary, poetic, and collectible artists of the modern era. Jean Cocteau Une tete deux races One Head Two Races Taureaux, Cocteau Mourlot Freres, Cocteau velin de Rives, Cocteau Editions Michele Trinckvel, Cocteau lithograph.

Creation Year:

1965

Dimensions:

Height: 15 in (38.1 cm)Width: 11 in (27.94 cm)

Medium:

Lithograph

Movement Style:

Modern

After:

Jean Cocteau (French)

Period:

1960-1969