Jean Cocteau was born in Maisons-Laffitte, France, in 1899 and passed away in Milly-la-Forêt, France, in 1963.
A painter, writer, poet, and director, Cocteau was one of the most versatile artists of the interwar period.
He began his involvement in the art world by publishing the poetry collection ‘Aladdin’s Lamp’ (1909).
During World War I, he came into contact with painters such as P. Picasso and A. Modigliani, the poet G. Apollinaire, and other artists with whom he later collaborated. The pinnacle of his partnership with Picasso was the ballet Parade, which premiered in Paris in 1917; Cocteau wrote the libretto, the Spanish painter designed the sets and costumes, and E. Satie composed the music, causing a scandal among the audience.
Cocteau was an innovator of modernism, breathing new life into movements such as Dadaism and Surrealism.
He published books of drawings and illustrated his own literary works.
In 1955, he became a member of the Académie Française.