JEAN COCTEAU (1889-1963) 2 signed autograph letters to Jacques Seletti, envelope, invitation and 7 photographs

Lot 681
5001 000
In French. 1) Autograph letter signed «Jean Cocteau», dated 28 August 1958 1 page in4 on headed paper «Santo-Sospir - St Jean Cap Ferrat». «... I’m back from Valberg with a lot of fatigue and work. Are you staying on the coast for a while? I could see you in a fortnight. I will, I think, have finished my big job for Brussels (2 speeches)... Tell me...» 2) Autograph letter signed «Jean Cocteau», dated 25 June 1959, 1 p on headed paper «Santo-Sospir - St Jean Cap Ferrat». He asks nothing better than to help him in his undertaking and sends him a few lines: «All art is abstract when the artist manages to dominate the pretext of his work. And if he eliminates it, he only gives us his soul» - [This sentence will be reproduced in facsimile on invitation cards for a preview in Monte-Carlo, Villa Belgica, of the next exhibition in New-York of the Artistes de France Associés on July 10th and 24th 1959]. - He also recommends that he get in touch with «a young abstract painter of the first order and untouched by galleries, Martial Raysse». Included : Envelope «Monsieur Jacques Seletti - Villa Belgica - 2 avenue de Grande Bretagne Monte Carlo» with stamp and postmark 3) Invitation card (in French) with a facsimile of the sentence sent 4) 7 photos of the reception 1 photograph showing Cocteau and Seletti at this exhibition, handwritten note in the lower left corner «Monte Carlo. Villa Belgica, 10 July 1959». 30 x 23 cm 3 press photographs of this exhibition where Cocteau appears 23,5 x 18,5 cm 3 photographs of the same exhibition, including one with Cocteau glued on an album page 9 x 14cm