Jean COCTEAU (1889-1963) - Lot 31

Jean COCTEAU (1889-1963) 5 L.A.S. including one with drawing, October-December 1956; 6pages in-4 (one on Santo-Sospir letterhead), 2 envelopes. October 2nd. Send Pierre Seghers a beautiful portrait of Jean-Marie Magnan, with his texts, "so that it makes up one of our little pocket booklets. I love this edition (of Le Chiffre 7)". He found the fish he needed at sea... On verso, a pencil drawing occupying the entire page: two heads kissing. Sunday [October 8]. "Picasso told me (behind your back) all his admiration for your 'Ventres' series. One could, he says, sign Renoir. Don't be disturbed by the services I like to render you. You do me many others and, just yesterday, for the poster for the Menton Festival - I was inspired by one of your Gitanes. Tomorrow, at the Chapelle [in Villefranche], I'll be working on your group. As you can see, I'm always with you, using and abusing you. The drawing for Magnan is ready (let him tell Seghers), as is your text. Picasso has promised me the cover for your catalog. In short, everything is rosy in Arles"... October 25th. Seghers has received the preface for Magnan. "Seghers is only waiting for Clergue's photos before considering an edition. It's all looking very good"... November 14th. "I find myself in the middle of some sinister stories. My assistant (Brusset) has lost his head, insulting me, asking me for astronomical sums after three months of gorging himself at the expense of the Princess. Your wonderful images console me. [...] I kiss you, dear cock of Arles". December 3. "I have found the proofs of the owl and the swallow. It's important that you don't stick to a single theme and that your angle of light approaches another world (as in the admirable nudes). Your dead beasts should be a rarity"... Enclosed is a typed letter from the Kunstmuseum Basel to L. Clergue with Cocteau's autograph note on verso (Sept. 24, 1956); 3 telegrams from Cocteau to Clergue (October-November 1956); 18 letters from Lucien CLERGUE to Cocteau, Arles September-December 1956, including 6 autograph minutes signed, and 12 double carbon. CCC p. 25-31. Lots 24 to 68 are sold on provisional with possibility of reunion