- 164
Cocteau, Jean
Estimate
7,000 - 10,000 USD
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Description
- Cocteau, Jean
- Autograph letter signed twice ("Jean" and "J. Cocteau"), to Marlene Dietrich
- ink and paper
1 page (10 1/2 x 8 in; 270 x 205 mm), in "Saint Jean Cap Ferrat", 16 November 1957, on strong wove paper, drawing in pencil, the text runs around it; mounted on a marie-louise cardboard, framed. Fine condition.
Condition
clean
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
"Marlène, mon bon ange. Je suis triste d'etre si près et si loin de toi. Ces crises de solitude me prennent sur les echafaudages de ma chapelle, comme separé du drame du monde dans la soucoupe du Vénusien. Sois bonne. Ecris moi 2 lignes dans le coeur sur une carte. Jean."
In 1957, Marlene Dietrich was filming the The Monte Carlo Story under the direction of Samuel A. Taylor with Vittorio de Sica while Cocteau was decorating the Chapelle of Saint-Pierre of Villefranche-sur-Mer, some 16 kilometers away. Cocteau and Dietrich were long-time friends. Cocteau wanted to use her for the role of the Princess (the Death) in his masterpiece Beauty and the Beast in 1946 but she was not available. She held Cocteau's hand at the premiere of the movie; they stayed linked till the poet passed away in 1963.
The drawing is the sketch for the mural "Les Fiancés", showing Orpheus and Eurydice, in the marriage chamber of the city hall of Menton, in the south of France.