Jean COCTEAU - Hand of the artist (circa 1962), original signed lithograph

Tsuguharu Foujita : Born in Tokyo in 1886, Tsugouharu Foujita or Tsuguharu Fujita is a complete artist (painter, draughtsman, engraver, illustrator, ceramicist, photographer, filmaker, fashion designer...) internationally recognized. When he arrived in Montparnasse in 1913, cubists compositions and The Douanier Rousseau's paintings from Picasso's workshop pushed him to join The modern art avant-garde. Foujita became one of the most important "École de Paris" members (coming out in 1918). He became friends with Modigliani, Pascin, Moïse Kisling, Chana Orloff, Soutine, Derain, Vlaminck, Fernand Léger, Juan Gris, Matisse... His first own exhibition in june 1917 is a success; he exhibits 110 watercolors in a half-japanese half-gothic style. He is presented in all the painting shows in Paris, Brussels, Germany, US and Japan. The 20's in Montparnasse were the climax of his career : His paintings representing women, children and cats enter the greatest art collections. In 1955, he obtained the french nationality. He converted to catholicism 4 years later and took the name Léonard. In 1964, he decided with René Lalou to build and decorate The Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix Chapel (Foujita Chapel) in Reims. Léonard Foujita died in 1968 in Zurich.
Jean Cocteau : Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) is a poet, graphic designer, draughtsman, playwright and french movie director. He is one of the major artists of the 20th century. He was the impresario of his time, the trend maker, the inspiration of many artists and put his personal touch in all his creations with a singular grace, an inexhausted originality and a rare intuition. Despite his literary works and artistic talents, Jean Cocteau has always insisted on the fact that he was above all a poet and that every work was petic. He let movies which had marked the century, as "Le Sang d'un poète" (A poet's blood), The Beauty and The beast, Orpheus, but also famous illustrations as "Le Livre blanc" (The white book).