Two interesting ALS from the French poet, artist and filmmaker to his Brussels correspondent Ovide Vanden Berghe, the first apologizing for the disorder of his mail and asking what had been sent, the second praising an album sent to him as proof of "this unreal realism which will at last be the sign of our age." 1. "Santo-Sospir," St. Jean Cap-Ferrat, 19 January 1960; 1 p., on the villa's printed letterhead, in brown ink. In full (translated from the French): "My dear Van de Berghe, / There was such disorder in my mail in 1959, and between Paris, Milly and St. Jean, that I have trouble remembering your package. I would like you to tell me exactly where [?] it was sent, for it happens that my letters are opened, supposedly to simplify things for me, and at the same stroke many documents get muddled and lost. I would be sorry about a mishap of this kind, and I apologize to you for it in advance. A thousand good wishes / Jean Cocteau." 2. 36 rue de Montpensier, Palais Royal, Paris, 1 February 1960; 1 p., in blue ink. In full (translated from the French): "My dear Vanden Berghe, / You were right to send me this album, which proves to me the ever greater and ever more effective importance of this unreal realism which will at last be the sign of our age. Art has ceased to 'reproduce' like the Greeks; it 'produces' like the Louis [?]. It is a true triumph over pleonasm. / Your faithful / Jean Cocteau." Each signed in full and with Cocteau's star. Together with both original envelopes addressed in his hand to Brussels, the first with pair of 25f Marianne stamps and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat "Presqu'île de rêve" slogan cancel, 1960, the second with pair of 0.25 Marianne stamps and slogan cancel, 1960. Expected mailing folds, small tear to flap of second envelope, else fine. Each 8.25 x 10.5 inches; 20.9 x 26.7 cm and 20.9 x 26.9 cm.
We have not been able to positively identify his correspondent. The context suggests that it is an admirer who had sent him artwork of some kind to review. Nevertheless, Cocteau's response is highly revealing. The album was presumably of Vanden Berghe's own work, quite possibly photographs or photomontages. "Unreal realism" (réalisme irréel) was the phrase Cocteau used of his own work, above all his films: images that look entirely real while showing what cannot exist. In saying that art has ceased to "reproduce" like the Greeks and now "produces," he praises work that invents rather than copies the visible world, and his "true triumph over pleonasm" is a triumph over redundancy, over the image that merely repeats what is already in front of us.
Santo Sospir was Francine Weisweiller's villa at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, whose walls Cocteau covered with frescoes and where he spent much of his last decade; Milly is his house at Milly-la-Forêt, and 36 rue de Montpensier his Paris apartment overlooking the gardens of the Palais-Royal. The letters were written in the weeks before the premiere of his last film, Le Testament d'Orphée (February 1960).
Original French: 1. "19 Jan 1960 / Mon cher Van de Berghe / Il y a eu dans mes courriers un tel désordre en 1959 – et entre Paris – Milly – St Jean que j'ai peine à me rappeler votre envoi. J'aimerais que vous me précisiez le lieu [?] d'envoi – car il arrive qu'on ouvre mes lettres, soit disant pour me simplifier les choses, et du même coup nombre de documents s'embrouillent et se perdent. Je serais navré d'un contretemps de ce genre et je vous en fais, à l'avance, mes excuses. Mille bons vœux / Jean Cocteau." 2. "1er Févr 1960 / 36 rue de Montpensier / Palais Royal / Paris / Mon cher Vanden Berghe / Vous avez eu raison de m'envoyer cet album qui me prouve l'importance de plus en plus grande et de plus en plus efficace de ce réalisme irréel qui sera enfin le signe de notre époque. L'art a cessé de « reproduire » comme les Grecs – il « produit » comme les Louis [?] – C'est un vrai triomphe sur le pléonasme / Votre fidèle / Jean Cocteau."
Two interesting ALS from the French poet, artist and filmmaker to his Brussels correspondent Ovide Vanden Berghe, the first apologizing for the disorder of his mail and asking what had been sent, the second praising an album sent to him as proof of "this unreal realism which will at last be the sign of our age." 1. "Santo-Sospir," St. Jean Cap-Ferrat, 19 January 1960; 1 p., on the villa's printed letterhead, in brown ink. In full (translated from the French): "My dear Van de Berghe, / There was such disorder in my mail in 1959, and between Paris, Milly and St. Jean, that I have trouble remembering your package. I would like you to tell me exactly where [?] it was sent, for it happens that my letters are opened, supposedly to simplify things for me, and at the same stroke many documents get muddled and lost. I would be sorry about a mishap of this kind, and I apologize to you for it in advance. A thousand good wishes / Jean Cocteau." 2. 36 rue de Montpensier, Palais Royal, Paris, 1 February 1960; 1 p., in blue ink. In full (translated from the French): "My dear Vanden Berghe, / You were right to send me this album, which proves to me the ever greater and ever more effective importance of this unreal realism which will at last be the sign of our age. Art has ceased to 'reproduce' like the Greeks; it 'produces' like the Louis [?]. It is a true triumph over pleonasm. / Your faithful / Jean Cocteau." Each signed in full and with Cocteau's star. Together with both original envelopes addressed in his hand to Brussels, the first with pair of 25f Marianne stamps and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat "Presqu'île de rêve" slogan cancel, 1960, the second with pair of 0.25 Marianne stamps and slogan cancel, 1960. Expected mailing folds, small tear to flap of second envelope, else fine. Each 8.25 x 10.5 inches; 20.9 x 26.7 cm and 20.9 x 26.9 cm.
We have not been able to positively identify his correspondent. The context suggests that it is an admirer who had sent him artwork of some kind to review. Nevertheless, Cocteau's response is highly revealing. The album was presumably of Vanden Berghe's own work, quite possibly photographs or photomontages. "Unreal realism" (réalisme irréel) was the phrase Cocteau used of his own work, above all his films: images that look entirely real while showing what cannot exist. In saying that art has ceased to "reproduce" like the Greeks and now "produces," he praises work that invents rather than copies the visible world, and his "true triumph over pleonasm" is a triumph over redundancy, over the image that merely repeats what is already in front of us.
Santo Sospir was Francine Weisweiller's villa at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, whose walls Cocteau covered with frescoes and where he spent much of his last decade; Milly is his house at Milly-la-Forêt, and 36 rue de Montpensier his Paris apartment overlooking the gardens of the Palais-Royal. The letters were written in the weeks before the premiere of his last film, Le Testament d'Orphée (February 1960).
Original French: 1. "19 Jan 1960 / Mon cher Van de Berghe / Il y a eu dans mes courriers un tel désordre en 1959 – et entre Paris – Milly – St Jean que j'ai peine à me rappeler votre envoi. J'aimerais que vous me précisiez le lieu [?] d'envoi – car il arrive qu'on ouvre mes lettres, soit disant pour me simplifier les choses, et du même coup nombre de documents s'embrouillent et se perdent. Je serais navré d'un contretemps de ce genre et je vous en fais, à l'avance, mes excuses. Mille bons vœux / Jean Cocteau." 2. "1er Févr 1960 / 36 rue de Montpensier / Palais Royal / Paris / Mon cher Vanden Berghe / Vous avez eu raison de m'envoyer cet album qui me prouve l'importance de plus en plus grande et de plus en plus efficace de ce réalisme irréel qui sera enfin le signe de notre époque. L'art a cessé de « reproduire » comme les Grecs – il « produit » comme les Louis [?] – C'est un vrai triomphe sur le pléonasme / Votre fidèle / Jean Cocteau."