Jean Cocteau

Modigliani’s portrait of Jean Cocteau seems to have been painted as part of a friendly competition between Modigliani and the Polish-born painter Moïse Kisling. Picasso had taken his friend Cocteau to Kisling’s studio to introduce him to the group of artists and poets who gathered there. While the details are not clear, in the end both Modigliani and Kisling painted a portrait of the young poet. Various friends were in attendance as the artists set to work. It would appear that the perpetually hard-up Modigliani needed assistance in getting started. He must have taken a canvas from Kisling, as an x-radiograph reveals that underneath Modigliani’s portrait is a self-portrait of Kisling with his wife Renée and their dog.

(Source: Princeton University Art Museum)

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