Jean Cocteau and Sphinx
Lucien Clergue
Description
Subject Matter:
This is a portrait of Jean Cocteau. Clergue and Jean Cocteau began a lasting friendship when Clergue sent photographs to Cocteau in 1956 at Picasso’s suggestion. Their friendship would end with Cocteau’s death in 1963. In 1959 Clergue worked with Cocteau to produce a photographic record of Cocteau's film Le Testament d’Orphée in Les Baux-de-Provence, Nice, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, and Villefranche-sur-Mer. In this image, Cocteau stands in front of a wall, the sphinx from the set of the film behind him. Cocteau wears artificial eyes, a prop seen throughout his film.
Physical Description:
A photograph of a man wearing artificial eyes, standing in front of a wall. Beyond the wall, a sphinx figure can be seen in front of a mountain range.
Usage Rights:
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