Portrait of Jean Cocteau
The now highly admired Modigliani died at the age of 35 in Paris from a combination of tuberculosis, alcohol, narcotics and poverty. From 1909 to 1914 he devoted himself mainly to sculpture. A sculptural orientation is also reflected in his drawings with their sparing linework.
This portrait of the self-proclaimed cultural pontiff Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) is a preliminary study for a large painting. The sitter is viewed with some irony.