Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) - Expo Nice Côte d'azur TWA 1954 - Mourlot

Original poster Jean Cocteau – Nice Côte d’Azur – Exhibition Nice Côte d’Azur – TWA – Mourlot 1954

An original lithograph by Jean Cocteau celebrating the Côte d’Azur in the Paris salons of TWA

Created in 1954 by Jean Cocteau (1889-1963), this poster announces the exhibition "Nice – Côte d’Azur", organized in the Paris salons of the American airline TWA, at 101 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from December 8, 1954 to January 16, 1955.
Jean Cocteau here chooses the figure of a musician Harlequin, a character closely linked to the world of Commedia dell’arte and recurring in 20th-century modern art. The figure, treated with Cocteau’s characteristic graphic freedom, is shown seated, with a string instrument in hand.

The creation comes at a particularly important period in Cocteau’s relationship with the Côte d’Azur. In the 1950s, the artist regularly stayed in the region and developed several projects around Villefranche-sur-Mer, Menton and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. This poster predates by a few years his famous decoration of the Saint-Pierre Chapel in Villefranche-sur-Mer.
The presence of TWA – Trans World Airlines is not incidental. In the 1950s, major international airlines actively participated in promoting tourism to European destinations. Here, the Paris salons of the company served as an exhibition space devoted to Nice and the Côte d’Azur.

The poster is a genuine original lithograph of its time, not a later reproduction. It was printed in Paris by Mourlot, one of the most prestigious lithographic workshops of the 20th century, which worked with Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Miró, Braque and Cocteau.
Reference: Czwiklitzer 91
No framing.
Dimensions: 51 x 71 cm
Excellent condition, never framed

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