Jean Cocteau: The Juggler’s Revenge

Brilliant, surprising, and multifaceted, the French artist Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) left an enduring mark as a draftsman, filmmaker, set designer, muralist, and jewellery and clothing designer. His poetry, fundamental expression of his unmistakable spirit, is characterised by mythological, circus-like atmospheres and a disorienting writing style that would always accompany his endless creations in the most diverse fields.

Guggenheim often said that words were a means of expression that Cocteau wielded with the virtuosity of an acrobat. The Juggler’s Revenge refers to his ability to move through the most disparate realms with an all-encompassing regard, perspicaciously attuned to aesthetics and history and able to synthesise them. In his first novel Le grand ecart (1923), Cocteau himself said he was fascinated by jugglers and circus performers. Indeed, later in his career, he placed two acrobats and a Chinese illusionist in the libretto for the ballet Parade, and the wizard Merlin in Les Chevaliers de la Table ronde.

The Juggler’s Revenge embraces the versatility for which the artist was often criticised by his contemporaries, retracing the development of his aesthetic and the key moments in his tumultuous life through works created by various means and techniques. A selection of drawings evidences the key role of desire and sensuality, which have always characterised his art.