"Ceramics saved my life! It prevents me from using ink, which has become too dangerous, since everything we write is systematically distorted by those who read it ..."
A multifaceted artist of international success, Jean Cocteau was one of the most eclectic figures of the 20th century. He considered himself above all a poet, though he actually worked with almost all artistic mediums and was also a draftsman, playwright (of works such as The Human Voice and The Infernal Machine, among many others), screenwriter, essayist, librettist, actor, and director (he directed the film Beauty and the Beast in 1945, inspired by the fairy tale).
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Born on July 5, 1889 in Maisons-Laffitte, a town a few miles from Paris, he published his first poems when he was still very young, always demonstrating great curiosity and experimenting with different styles. During his intense career, he made important friendships with well-known personalities such as Pablo Picasso, Guillaume Apollinaire, Max Jacob, Amedeo Modigliani (who portrayed him in a well-known painting), Erik Satie, and Edith Piaf. Another fundamental friendship in his life was that with the artist couple Marie Madeline Jolly and Philippe Madeline, whom he met in 1957. In their workshop in Villefranche-sur-Mer, surrounded by the scent of iris, wild lilacs and wallflowers, away from the chaos of modern life, Cocteau transformed his designs into over 300 mesmerizing ceramics. It is to this body of work that the Bonhams auction Jean Cocteau et l'Atelier Madeline-Jolly, Une Amitié Sans Faille ('Jean Cocteau e l'Atelier Madeline-Jolly, an Endless Friendship') is dedicated, planned for September 29 in Paris.
Picasso told me that if I ever put ceramic in the kiln, I would be lost. But I have always felt a great pleasure in getting lost.
The auction offers an exceptional collection of ceramics and designs by Jean Cocteau and represents a natural continuation of the highly successful Jean Cocteau: The Modern Orpheus sales in 2021 and An Important Collection of Jean Cocteau Ceramics in 2019. The works come directly from the Villefranche-sur-Mer Atelier and testify to Cocteau's great love for this artistic technique.
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"This private collection is a testament of the friendship between Cocteau and the Jolly family and all these works are fresh to the market and are pretty special because the ceramics are the 'original' model made by Cocteau for the subsequent edition, some ceramics are hand-drawn in pastel which make them unique works alongside preparatory drawings of the designs he would translate into the pottery," said Bonhams spokesperson Lucia Tro Santafe.
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Among the main lots, the Les Gémeaux stands out with two figures facing each other on a 36cm diameter plate. The work, made in 1960, comes with an estimate of 5,000-7,000 euros. As part of the auction, the preparatory drawing of this plate will also be presented, signed and dated 1960 (estimate: 4,000-6,000 euros). Other highlights at the auction are the Femme Voilée vase (1958), estimated at 8,000-12,000 euros and its preparatory drawing (with an estimate of 800-1,200 euros); Fleur des Yeux, a unique work signed and dated in pastel (estimate: 6,000-8,000 euros) and Théâtre du Cap-d'Ail (1961), a partially glazed white terracotta plate with colored engobe, whose estimate ranges between 7,000 and 10,000 euros.
Last year, the work Bélier Deux Faces sold for 47,812 euros, setting a world record for a Cocteau ceramic. We will just have to wait for this new, interesting sale to see what results will be achieved by the hypnotic poetry of the masterpieces of this artist.
