JEAN COCTEAU (1885-1963) Set of sixteen letters and three telegrams written by Jean Cocteau to Raymond Moretti. Provenance Artist's studio Collection Marie-France Moretti Bibliography [Cocteau / Moretti] Nucera Louis, L'âge du verseau. Unpublished text by Louis Nucéra. With 24 lithographs by Jean Cocteau & Raymond Moretti produced jointly in 1962-1963, Paris Art et Recherche, 1973 (original edition). Autograph letter and original drawing Paris, 22 January 1962, 1 page in-4 with blue pencil drawing, envelope enclosed. "My dear Raymond, Paris is a block of ice on the ? And on the heart side. La Victorine was a paradise and I will never be able to express my fraternal gratitude to you. I dream of associating you again with my work and of repaying you as far as possible. I send you my love. Greetings to my friends. Jean I hope Triquenot came and took our models with him. Let me know about the poster. Autograph letter 1 page in-4, envelope enclosed. "My dear Moretti, I would like to know what day we can continue our work. I understand that the television announced that I am inventing a large canvas in my studio, assisted by Moretti. That's how these guys listen to what we tell them in detail. So it's best to leave them alone and carry on in silence. (It's true that the doctor's son has our statement and that I've still recorded it for? Pointing out the television error). I kiss you. Jean Cocteau " Autograph letter St Jean Cap-Ferrat, 30 August 1962, 1 page in-8 with envelope enclosed. "I'm very curious to know where we stand. Let me know. As the top should be dry, we could get started. At the moment your job is to get our graphics into space, depth and relief. All the best. Jean " Autograph letter St Jean Cap-Ferrat, 15 August 1962, 1 page in-8 with envelope enclosed. "My dear Moretti, I want to thank you again, in my very hard life, for giving me the pleasure of our work at La Victorine. It is rare for me to be able to relax so well. Continue to make our canvas profound and mysterious. I can't wait to see the new face, with its mouth shaped like a scream. I send you my love. Jean Cocteau " Autograph letter and original drawing Paris, 1 October 1962. 1 page in-4 decorated with an ink drawing, envelope enclosed. "My dearest Moretti, my journey is going on with bronchitis fever and I dream of seeing our painting, after Switzerland (? Or?) I'm going back to Paris and will soon reach the coast. Work well. I send you my love. Jean". Autograph letter and original drawing Paris, 13 October 1962. 1 page in-8 decorated with an ink drawing, envelope enclosed. "Very impatient to see the head below and the sky above. I'm nursing my bronchitis so as to be on top form. Our canvas is alive and doing what it wants, so there's no need to worry. I love you. I love you, Jean. Autograph letter Paris, 22 October 1962.1 page in-8, envelope enclosed. "We will soon be uniting our germs. I can be on the coast in the first days of November. Don't move the big canvas. I want to be surprised by the fish and the white head. and the white head. I send you my love. Love Jean. Letter original drawing on paper Milly, 1st November 1962, 1 page in-8 decorated with a female figure in red felt-tip pen, envelope enclosed. "Patience, I'll be there at the end of the month. Jean". Autograph letter and original drawing Paris, 9 November 1962, 1 page in-8 with a pen and coloured pencil drawing, envelope enclosed. "I'll be arriving around the 25th. In Saint Jean. Love. Jean Cocteau". Autograph letter and original drawing Milly, 13 November 1962, 1 page in-4 decorated with a drawing in green pencil, envelope enclosed. "Dear Moretti. See you soon - Paris is exhausting me. You are the very wisdom of living well. I dream of the minute when I can put on my white coat and "operate". My love to you. John. I plan to stay all December and January. December and January. Autograph letter St Jean Cap-Ferrat, page in-8, envelope enclosed. "My dearest Moretti, the doctor has asked me for 3 or 4 days in a room, which does not prevent me from being at the Victorine. I only have to close my eyes to get there by the quickest of all vehicles: thought. Yesterday I finished the two doors to Cap d'Ail. Big factory. On the way back to Santo Sospir I ? With Brive - huge blunder - it wasn't 17 that I was in Marseille but 14 or 15. Tell him so that he can correct the texts. Thank you, thank you again for your help at Radio Nice. I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you the window job, but you're the only one in the world who can do it. Love under Mistletoe's letter. Jean " Autograph letter 10 February 1963, 1 page in-8, envelope enclosed. "Dearest Raymond, I'm jumping off the Cap at Oron and I'll be back on the 23rd for the first ? From Fréjus. As soon as I get back I'll go and see you. I find myself in a ? Of rats and removals to to discourage Hercules. I send you my love. Jean" Autograph letter St Jean Cap Ferrat, 4 July 1963, 1 page in-4, envelope enclosed. "My dearest Raymond, my heart is getting better but not my breath and on Friday I'm moving to Milly la Forêt (Seine-et-Oise) because the doctors think that I'll be better able to get better at home than alone at Marais's, who is on his Russian Fshral trip. Please let me know as soon as possible about Victorine, where I often go for walks with my eyes closed. The figure of Pierre Brive on television used to draw me back to all of you - because I suffer from being deprived of the coast and I look with sadness at the photographs of the jobs in Menton, Cap d'Ail or Fréjus. Please write me a good long letter in response to these flyswatters - has my article been translated into English? How are your giant canvases coming along? Etc etc - don't believe the idiots who think I'm dancing at the ball - I'm always in an old bathrobe and only leave in an ambulance. Love to you and your friends. Jean". Autograph letter Milly, 25 July 1963, 1 page in-8, envelope enclosed. "I'm even sicker with this wonderful package from La Victorine. My 'convalescence', as they say, would go wonderfully well under the trees of the Var and in our mess. Finish the big canvas - the red hair, the star (to be brought to life) the orchid throat and the cloud entering the fish. Thought is such a fast vehicle that I can project myself to Nice and move ghostly among you. Tell our mani that I'm so delighted with your Pondettes project. I can't find the colour photos of our work - did you give them to me? If not, try to arrange another session with Triquenot, in Fréjus. I'm so determined not to let myself be defeated that I can already see myself unpacking my sick painting machine. Excuse me ? And Jacques & Nucera I can barely write, but my heart remains strong for them. Love, Jean. Autograph letter Milly, 14 August 1963. 1 page in-8 with envelope enclosed. "My friends, how sad to be the victim of the bad jokes that death invents on the pretext that we miss one of our appointments. Only one thing gives me a fixed point - a star: my desire to be with you all in September. Dear Raymond, I send you my love and ask you to paint my frail heart around you. Yours sincerely Autograph letter Milly, 31 August 1963. 1 page in-8 with envelope. "My dearest Raymond, death has savaged and ravaged me. I ache to see this face destroyed by scars. But love (the essence) remains strong and the heart seems to be rejuvenated by this disaster. I'm preparing a work retreat in Fréjus - and our visits will be sweet to me. Love to you, Pierre and everyone. Jean." Three telegrams from the end of the year, 1963