Le livre blanc by Jean Cocteau

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Two illustrations by Jean Cocteau for his homoerotic novel Le livre blanc. Cocteau never publicly acknowledged his authorship of the book but his illustrations (coloured by MB Armington) decorated the second edition published by Éditions du Signe in 1930. He also provided an introduction. The Koopman Collection has further illustrations and page scans.

Cocteau wrote Le livre blanc in 1927 in Chablis, where he was staying with Jean Desbordes, the successor to Cocteau’s great love. Cocteau’s drawings have been described as obscenely pious. They are established by quick, flowing lines, partially erotic and often sultry, featuring classical elements such as busts and centaurs. Erotic images were popular articles in France, where they were sold under the counter; people were extra careful about homosexual erotica. Cocteau described his first sexual experiences in Le livre blanc: his excitement upon seeing a naked peasant boy on horseback and two naked young gypsies on his father’s estate. (More.)

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Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
The gay artists archive

Previously on { feuilleton }
Cocteau’s sword
Cristalophonics: searching for the Cocteau sound
Cocteau at the Louvre des Antiquaires
La Villa Santo Sospir by Jean Cocteau

Weekend links 4

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Will at A Journey Round My Skull turned up this hand-coloured picture from Ronald Balfour’s illustrated Rubáiyát some of whose other drawings were featured here recently. That distant volcano is a curious detail. Related: Golden Age Comic Book Stories posted plates from Willy Pogány’s edition.

• Authors on authors: China Miéville on JG Ballard; Rodrigo Fresán on Jorge Luis Borges; AS Byatt on Lewis Carroll.

• Events: Alan Moore & Sunn O)))’s Stephen O’Malley present Simultaneous Conjugation of Four Spirits in a Room at the Laing Art Gallery on March 13th, 2010 (via Arthur); in October Weirdstone will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Alan Garner’s The Weirdstone of Brisingamen.

• New blogs: Wonder Kabinet / Wunderkammer, “curiosities, ephemera, and fragments from The Cutting Room Floor and Evan J Peterson”; Pencil Tool, a Tumblr by Charity Pomaybo; and another Tumblr from Mountain*7.

Perversity Think Tank is a new book from Supervert. Download it for free or order the delicious limited edition.

• The Casual Optimist lists 10+ Flickr Groups for Book Design and Inspiration.

• Via BibliOdyssey: 400 woodcuts by Eric Gill.

• “At least in self-abuse / There’s a little dignity…” Song of the week was Hands 2 Take by The Flying Lizards from their second album, Fourth Wall (1981). I bought this when it came out but hadn’t listened to it for years. Thrilling, urgent stuff with the fabulous Patti Palladin on vocals. Play loud.

The art of Hope Kroll

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left: Wilhemine (2009); right: Strange Gifts (2009).

Collage art by American artist Hope Kroll whose site has galleries of her work dating back to 2000. I forget where the tip came from for these but I suspect it was Monsieur Thom once again…

Previously on { feuilleton }
Metamorphosis Victorianus
Max (The Birdman) Ernst
The Robing of The Birds
Gandharva by Beaver & Krause
The art of Stephen Aldrich

Entomologia

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A Royal Family (Goliath Beetle) (2003) by Joianne Bittle.

More insect art. Entomologia is a group exhibition of art incorporating and inspired by insects, on view at Observatory, Brooklyn, NY, from February 26th to April 4th, 2010. There are fourteen artists involved but not all of them have websites showing the work one might expect to see there, unfortunately. The gallery will also host a series of events tied to the exhibition; more details here. Among the contributors is photographer Brian Riley whose chiaroscuro studies of male nudes have featured here previously.

Previously on { feuilleton }
Jewel beetle
How many leaf beetles can dance on the head of a pin?
The art of Jo Whaley
Endangered insects postage stamps
Brian Riley