PRESS RELEASE JEAN COCTEAU - mouginsmusee.com · Jean Cocteau BIOGRAPHY 1889 - 1963Born in...

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musée Jean Cocteau collection Séverin Wunderman An MACM exhibition in collaboration with JEAN COCTEAU PRESS RELEASE 1O April 6 September 2020 Jean Cocteau, Orphéus, 1950, collection Musée Jean Cocteau collection Séverin Wunderman, © Adagp / Comité Cocteau, Paris, 2020

Transcript of PRESS RELEASE JEAN COCTEAU - mouginsmusee.com · Jean Cocteau BIOGRAPHY 1889 - 1963Born in...

musée Jean Cocteaucollection Séverin Wunderman

An MACM exhibitionin collaboration with

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Jean Cocteau1889 - 1963

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Born in Maisons-Laffitte in France on 5th July 1889, Jean Cocteau grew up in a worldly, artistic & cultivated environment. From the age of 20, Édouard De Max, a celebrated actor, introduced him to the literary world where he met a great success. He published his first collection of poems, La Lampe d’Aladin (Aladdin’s Lamp), as well as articles & drawings in Comœdia. In 1913, Cocteau was deeply moved by the Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring), a ballet composed by Stravinsky & choreographed by Nijinsky. The public’s hostile response to this ballet confirmed his belief that all artistic creation was unconventional. A few years later, he created his own ballet with Erik Satie & Picasso: Parade. The performance by the ‘Ballets Russes’ in 1917 surprised the public & the critics. The poet’s theatrical & literary creations were prolific in the 1920’s: Le Coq (The Cockerel), Le Bœuf sur le toit (The Ox on the Roof), Les Mariés de la Tour Eiffel (The Wedding Party on the Eiffel Tower), Antigone, Œdipe roi (Oedipus the King), Le Grand écart (The Miscreant), Thomas l’imposteur (Thomas the Impostor), L’Ange Heurtebise (The Angel Heurtebise) & Le Mystère de Jean l’oiseleur, (The Mystery of Jean the Birdcatcher), Orphée (Orpheus), Opéra & Les Enfants terribles (The Strange Ones), without forgetting the publication of a collection of drawings dedicated to Picasso in 1924. In 1930 Cocteau made his first film, Le Sang d’un poète (The Blood of a Poet). He met his future life partner, Jean Marais, during an audition for Œdipe Roi in 1937. His film La Belle et la Bête (Beauty & the Beast) won the Louis-Delluc Prize in 1946 & in1949, whilst filming Orphée, Cocteau was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour.It was in 1950 that he first stayed in Villa Santo Sospir in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, home of the Weisweillers, patrons & friends of the artist. Cocteau ‘tattooed’ the walls of the villa with frescoes during his time there. As a renowned filmmaker, Cocteau was president of the jury for the Cannes Film Festival in 1953 & 1954. Subsequently, on the merit of his literary work, he was elected as a member of the prestigious French Academy in 1955.It was then for his talents as a painter that he was asked to decorate the Saint-Pierre chapel in Villefranche-sur-Mer & the marriage registry office at the Menton Town Hall in 1956. For the latter, he drew inspiration from the mythological figures that were so dear to him. Mythology is very present throughout Cocteau’s work & he had a particular fascination for the Ancient Greek hero & poet, Orpheus. Indeed, Le Testament d’Orphée (The Testament of Orpheus), filmed in 1959 in Les Baux-de-Provence & Nice, was the last film of his career.

The ‘Prince of Poets’ left the Villa Santo Sospir to return to the house he shared with Jean Marais in Milly-la-Forêt. It was there that on 11 October 1963, Jean Cocteau died leaving behind him the legacy of his multifaceted artistic genius.

Autoportrait en bleuc. 1943-1945

Lithograph on paper, 65.5 x 50 cm

The common thread running through the protean work of Jean Cocteau is clearly his personal interpretation of myths.Inspired since the1920’s by the great myths from Antiquity, the poet developed his own resolutely modern mythology against a backdrop of Greek tragedy.

Through his work, Cocteau attests to the timelessness of mythology by transposing into the contemporary world characters such as Antigone, Oedipus or, the one often referred to as his alter ego, Orpheus.

Cocteau appropriated certain mythological creatures making them an integral part of his fantastic bestiary. These hybrid figures relate to Cocteau’s two

main mythological referents: fauns & unicorns come from the world of Orpheus; the sphinx, meanwhile, is Oedipal.

“Jean CoCteau & Sa Mythologie” is an invitation into the Coctalian world of myths & mysteries.From his hybrid unicorns to the dreamlike universe of Orpheus & his dark depictions of Oedipus & his daughter Antigone, Jean Cocteau’s graphic & poetic style is celebrated with a selection of drawings, photographs & ceramics.

This exhibition at the Mougins Museum (MACM) is made possible thanks to the kind collaboration & loans of the Jean Cocteau museum collection Séverin Wunderman & the town of Menton.All the works on display come from their collection & the MACM is extremely grateful for their generosity & trust that have enabled the exhibition “Jean CoCteau & Sa Mythologie”.

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musée Jean Cocteaucollection Séverin Wunderman

10 Avril6 Septembre2020

Une exposition MACMen collaboration avec

JEANCOCTEAU

Ouvert tous les jourswww.mouginsmusee.com

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JEAN COCTEAU & SA MYTHOLOGIE10 April - 6 September 2020

Autoportrait en bleu1956-1975Lithograph on paper, 65 x 50 cm

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Le Flûtiste1958Ceramic, 30 cm

Autoportrait sans visagec. 1915Graphite pencil, black ink wash & coloured pencils on vellum drawing paper laid down on card53.8 x 38 cm

La Dame à la Licorne1947Ink on bulky vellum paper69.8 x 84.4 cm

La Dame à la Licorne1947Ball-point pen on paper 71,7 x 86.3 cm

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Érotique, Odyssée1948Graphite pencil & ball-point pen on bulky vellum paper 74.4 x 94.1 cm

Odyssée1948Graphite pencil on bulky vellum paper74.3 x 94 cm

LicorneundatedIndian ink on bulky vellum paper99.5 x 79.5 cm

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Licorne1947Indian ink on bulky vellum paper70.8 x 90.6 cm

Licorne1947Indian ink on bulky vellum paper70.8 x 90.6 cm

Visage de licorne1947Ink wash on paper 94 x 114.5 cm

Licorne1947Indian ink on bulky vellum paper 72 x 91.5 cm

Orphéus1950Black & white lithography on Japanese imperial paper64.2 x 50 cm

Orphéec.1950Ink, felt-tip pen & graphite on paper64 x 49.1 cm

Le Théâtre antique1962Ceramic36 cm

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Le poète transpercé par la lance de Minerve(The Poet struck by Minerva’s Spear)

Minerve sous le casque dans la carrière(Minerva under her helmet in the quarry)

Lucien CLERGUEPhotographs from the film set of Le Testament d’Orphée1959 - 2011Silver print on paper, 30 x 24 cm

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Le sphinx Le poète et Cégeste dans la rue obscure(The Poet & Cégeste in a dark street)

Le poète dans les carrières des Baux(The Poet in the Quarry of Baux (de Provence))

Les enfants porteurs d’autographes et Idole(Children carrying autographs & the Idol)

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Œdipe1924Pen, black ink wash & graphite pencil on vellum paper28.2 x 21.5 cm

Antigone1924Pen, & black ink wash on thin vellum paper28.2 x 21.8 cm

Œdipec. 1930Pen & black ink on thin vellum paper 26.9 x 21 cm

Étude pour Œdipe-RoiundatedBlack ink on paper 26 x 21 cm

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Séverin Wunderman, an American businessman & art collector of Belgian origin, was born in 1938. Passionate about the protean work of Jean Cocteau, he amassed the world’s largest collection of Cocteau’s art & in 1985 founded a museum dedicated to the poet’s work, in Irvine, California.

Ten years later, the Irvine museum closed its doors & the collector decided to spend 6 months of the year in France in a 15th century hunting lodge in La Colle-sur-Loup. It was then that he had the idea of bringing this unique collection back to France. What better place to do so than Menton; the town that Jean Cocteau had chosen for his very own museum, Le Bastion.

In 2003, Wunderman discussed his project of donating his collection to the town with Jean-Claude Guibal, Deputy-Mayor of Menton. On 27 June 2005, the Deed of Gift was signed. With the support of the Alpes-Maritimes Department, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region & the Ministry of Culture & Communication, the town of Menton undertook the project to build a new museum to house the Séverin Wunderman collection.An architectural design competition was launched in 2007 & Rudy Ricciotti’s project was selected for the creation of the building.

Unfortunately Séverin Wunderman passed away in June 2008 & did not get to attend the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the new museum on 29 December 2008. Thanks to his generosity, he had however secured the future of the museum.His donation includes 1,800 pieces, including 990 works by Jean Cocteau.

The Musée Jean Cocteau collection Séverin Wunderman was inaugurated in November 2011 & together with the historical collection of the Bastion Museum, the town of Menton is home to the world’s most important public resource of the poet’s work.

Following the particularly violent meteorological episode that occurred on the night of 29 October 2018, the Musée Jean Cocteau collection Séverin Wunderman has been closed to the public for technical reasons. Pending the reopening of the museum, Cocteau’s work continues to be shown in Menton at the Bastion Museum & in the town hall registry office. The MACM is proud to contribute to the outreach of Jean Cocteau’s work in Mougins with the exhibition “Jean CoCteau et Sa Mythologie” from 10 April to 6 September 2020.

Currently showing at the Bastion Museum until 31 August 2020, “CoCteau Design”.

musée Jean Cocteaucollection Séverin Wunderman

Musée Jean Cocteau collection Séverin Wunderman © Roland Halbe

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One of the most picturesque villages in Provence, home to some of the greatest artists & a renowned culinary haven, the village of Mougins is a must-see destination nestled between sea & mountain on the Côte d’Azur.Christian Levett has chosen this prestigious location to found his museum & share his extraordinary collection with the public.

At the Mougins museum (MACM), modern &contemporary artworks are interspersed withRoman portrait statues & busts, Greek pottery& jewellery, Egyptian reliefs & sarcophagi. The great masters of the 17th & 18th centuriesinteract with Picasso, Chagall, Braque, Matisse,Hirst, Gormley, Quinn...

The connections made between artworks & artists emphasise the influence of classical civilisations on the art world & give a new resonance to the works on display.

On the upper floor, the largest private collection in the world of Graeco-Roman weapons & armour does not fail to stand out. Ancient beliefs, stories & myths provide an inspiring background to the visitor’s journey through the collection.

Download the complete MACM press pack onwww.mouginsmusee.com

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10 April - 6 September 2020

MACM (Musée d’Art Classique de Mougins)Open every day

32 rue Commandeur, 06250 Vieux Village de Mougins

Only 25 minutes from Nice Côte d’Azur international airport& 15 minutes from Cannes

Admission & acces onwww.mouginsmusee.com

+33 (0)4 93 75 18 22

Leisa [email protected]

+33 (0)7 86 43 24 36

Bénédicte [email protected]

+33 (0)6 33 60 53 17

Information & Press contacts:

or

Exhibition curator: Leisa PaoLi, Director of MACM

with the collaboration ofFrançoise LEonELLi, Chief curator & Sandrine FaRaUt RUELLE, Assistant curator at the

Musée Jean Cocteau collection Séverin Wunderman

JEAN COCTEAU& SA MYTHOLOGIE

An MACM exhibitionin collaboration with

musée Jean Cocteaucollection Séverin Wunderman

(JEAN COCTEAU & HIS MYTHOLOGY)

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© Musée d’Art Classique de Mougins (MACM) 2020

© Ville de Menton 2020

© Atelier Lucien Clergue

© Serge Caussé, photographe

© Adagp / Comité Cocteau, Paris 2020

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