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Insouciance, Mid 20th Century Portrait of Max Vigon friend of Jean Cocteau.
1950's

About the Item

French Mid 20th Century oil portrait of the actor Max Vigon. The sitter was a friend and collector of the works of Jean Cocteau. By repute this portrait is by Cocteau however it is not signed but there are artistic similarities to Cocteau's work. Included with the painting is a surrealist photo montage (see illustration) of Max Vigon inspired by or taken by Cocteau at the same time as this portrait. The painting is presented in plain 'caisse americaine' wood frame. Very much of its time the portrait captures the insouciance, youthful charm and allure of the subject as well as revealing the character of the artist. A study in black, white and green the artist has used strong brushstrokes and a limited colour palette to great effect, especially in the background, and has managed to in still a feeling of languid elegance to the painting. Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau, French: 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963 was a French visual artist poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the surrealist, avant-garde, and Dadaist movements; and one of the most influential figures in early 20th-century art as a whole. The National Observer suggested that, “of the artistic generation whose daring gave birth to Twentieth Century Art, Cocteau came closest to being a Renaissance man. In 1956 Cocteau decorated the Chapelle Saint-Pierre in Villefranche-sur-Mer with mural paintings. The following year he also decorated the marriage hall at the Hôtel de Ville in Menton. Max Vigon lived near Nice at this time, became friends with Cocteau and acquired some of his paintings for his collection. If the painting is by Cocteau it is possible that this is when it was completed. Though his body of work encompassed many different mediums, Cocteau insisted on calling himself a poet, classifying the great variety of his works – poems, novels, plays, essays, drawings, films – as "poésie", "poésie de roman", "poésie de thêatre", "poésie critique", "poésie graphique" and "poésie cinématographique". Max Vigon was a French actor with various companies including with the Comédie de l'Ouest, Centre Dramatique National and the L'Ecole National d'Art Dramatique. He lived in Nice and mixed in many of the same artistic circles as Cocteau who was at this time engaged in Various projects in the South of France. Vigon would have been in his mid to late 20's at the time this portrait was painted.

Creation Year:

1950's

Dimensions:

Height: 32 in (81.28 cm)Width: 22 in (55.88 cm)Depth: 1.75 in (4.45 cm)

Medium:

Canvas,Oil

Movement & Style:

Expressionist

Circle Of:

Jean Cocteau (French)

Period:

Mid-20th Century