Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau, Untitled, from Alternation, 1946
1946

Name: Jean Cocteau, Untitled, from Alternation, 1946
Brand: Jean Cocteau
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Availability: InStock
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About the Item

This exquisite etching by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963), titled Sans titre (Untitled), from the album Alternance (Alternation), originates from the 1946 edition published by Le Gerbier, Paris, and printed by atelier Quesneville, Paris, March 2, 1946. The work embodies Cocteau's mastery of fluid line, mythic symbolism, and poetic visual language, distilling the lyrical imagination and modernist clarity that define his contribution to twentieth-century art. Executed as an etching on velin de Rives paper, this work measures 12.88 x 9.88 inches (32.7 x 25.1 cm). Signed in the plate and unnumbered, as issued. The edition exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of atelier Quesneville, Paris. Artwork Details: Artist: Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) Title: Sans titre (Untitled), from the album Alternance (Alternation) Medium: Etching on velin de Rives paper Dimensions: 12.88 x 9.88 inches (32.7 x 25.1 cm) Inscription: Signed in the plate and unnumbered, as issued Date: 1946 Publisher: Le Gerbier, Paris Printer: atelier Quesneville, Paris Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium Provenance: From the album Alternance (Alternation), published by Le Gerbier, Paris; printed by atelier Quesneville, Paris, March 2, 1946 Notes: Excerpted from the folio (translated from French), Printing was finished on March 2, 1946 on the presses of atelier Quesneville for thirteen etchings; on the presses of Lacouriere for the etchings by Henri Matisse and Dignimont; the etching of J.G. Daragnes was engraved by himself; the typography, which is composed of Garamond was printed on the presses of the Master Printer, G. Girard. This collection of sixteen original etchings, alternating with sixteen unpublished writings, CCC examples have been drawn, including XXXVIII on Monival and hand numbered from I to XXXVIII; and, CCLXII on Rives BFK, numbered from XXXIX to CCC. XL examples have been drawn for hors commerce on Lana a la forme have been numbered form of I to XL. About the Publication: Alternance (Alternation), published in 1946 by Le Gerbier, stands as a significant postwar livre d'artiste uniting sixteen original etchings with sixteen unpublished literary texts. Produced with exceptional attention to etching technique, paper selection, and typographic refinement, the album reflects the collaborative vitality of mid-century French printmaking. Printed across several fine papers including Monival, Rives BFK, and Lana a la forme, the edition embodies the craft traditions of atelier Quesneville, Lacouriere, and the presses of G. Girard, preserving a moment of rich artistic exchange in the years immediately following World War II. 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 USD 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 Sans titre Alternance 1946, Cocteau etching, Cocteau velin de Rives, Cocteau collectible print.

Creator:
Jean Cocteau (French)
Creation Year:
1946
Dimensions:
Height: 12.875 in (32.71 cm)Width: 9.875 in (25.09 cm)
Medium:
Engraving
Movement Style:
Modern
Period:
1940-1949
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Southampton, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1465214866962