Printer: Mourlot (1 of 200 Editions)

Dimensions: 33 x 47 cm

Condition: Very good condition.

Frame: Bespoke floating frame.

Description: Colour lithograph after Jean Cocteau, signed and dated 1961 in the stone. Produced as part of the Nous croyons en l’Europe portfolio and published by Sciaky in a deluxe edition limited to 200 copies.

The work reflects Cocteau’s belief in a shared European cultural identity, expressed through his unmistakable graphic language of simplified faces, profiles and flowing lines. Here, the interlocking figures form an almost emblematic image of unity, accompanied by the handwritten declaration “Nous croyons en l’Europe” — “We believe in Europe.”

A particularly striking example of Cocteau’s later graphic work, combining his characteristic classical profiles with an unusually vivid palette.

Artist: Jean Cocteau was a French polymath and one of the principal creators of the Surrealist, avant-garde and Dadaist movements. As well as his art, he was a successful poet, playwright, novelist, designer and filmmaker, and regarded as one of the most influential artistic figures in the early 20th century. His hugely collectible artworks developed into a style often described as spare and whimsical.