A Day with Cocteau

So today the weatherman called for rain.

It never came!

What a wonderful day for a Saturday!

We headed off in the morning to check out the new Jean Cocteau museum in town. We have been watching it be built over the last few years. For this year’s visit it was finally open and we excited to check it out.

This museum does not replace the smaller Cocteau museum (almost right door), housing the works owned by the city of Menton. This bigger, more pretentious building houses the collection of Severin Wunderman – an American of Belgian descent, who was also one of the world’s foremost collectors of Cocteau’s works. The gallery was designed by Rudy Ricciotti, and from the exterior resembles a flat slab of marble with fissures all around the edges. Inside, each of these “fissures” are actually windows that give views onto the old marche, a park and the sea. There is a massive square with a pergola (exterior seating for a restaurant), that is paved in the stone mosaics that Cocteau did himself. This one happens to be of a large salamander.

The interior and exterior of the building are all a matte white – uniformly and consistently the same and sheen (which even carries on into the bathrooms). The effect is one of a tremendous amount of space – the area just seems to ramble on and on (although it is not small, the décor makes it even bigger!). I just love the effect!

The collection is actually a really good representation of Cocteau. He did not see himself as an artist per se – he was a poet, an artist, an illustrator, a dance choreographer, a film maker…. and the collection showcases samples of all of these works. It focuses mainly on works from 1900 – 1950.

Interestingly, I did not know that he had been addicted to opium – and there is a fascinating collection of illustrations from his time in the “nursing home” (rehab). Unfortunately, photography is not permitted in the gallery, so I couldn’t snap any pics – but it was interesting that a lot of the collection was NOT originals unlike the smaller gallery next door, which is almost exclusively originals), but a lot of prints, illustrations in books (1^st editions, mind you) posters, etc.

There were even reviews of snips from his many films – my favourite being the scene from “Enfant Terrible” where the student is insolent to the headmaster (even throwing some sort of powder in his face). When he is expelled from the school, he sashays out of the office with his head held high, throwing his scarf over his shoulder and tousling his hair, as he grins widely with self-satisfaction.

There was also a quantity of homoerotic works sprinkled throughout, the content of which is perhaps not discussed in this forum!

Anyway, we found it irresistible to enjoy the sunshine (when it wasn’t what we were expecting), so we treated ourselves to some French fries for lunch (GASP!) and ate them sitting in the full sun, before mosing along home to spend the afternoon on our beloved terrace.

There was even time for an afternoon nap.

We’re fitting in nicely.

Today’s weather: Sunny with a hi of 24C.

Today’s photos:

The Cocteau Gallery at night showing its full design

The pergola and square

A good day to dry your laundry

"My Toy" - a cute boat in the harbour

Tonight's "Super" Full moon glistening on the Mediterranean