An image of bookshelves cleverly set into a wall painted by Jean Cocteau sent us looking for its origin. It is Villa Santo Sospir, Francine Weisweiller‘s villa in the South of France that Cocteau embellished and used in two films La Villa Santo Sospir and Testament of Orpheus in 60’s. It seems that after coming for dinner one evening, Cocteau moved into the villa and stayed for 13 years.
Looking at it like a canvas, Cocteau offered to do a drawing over the fireplace in the main living room. Over time the whole house ended up like a piece of art, mosaic flooring, walls and even the ceilings were covered with his work and all in representation of the individuals and the lives they were leading there to the point Cocteau nicknamed the villa “the tattooed house”. — Jameson Farn, Riviera Buzz
Indeed, Cocteau looked at all sorts of unlikely surfaces — even lampshades — as canvases for his drawings, transforming the house into magical dwelling.
…From stairwells…
…to doorways…
…He lightens up a classic armoire…
…and a rather ordinary lampshade…
Hmmm. Do we know of an artist who we could trade for some charming murals? Imagine a bedroom like this:
Want to see more of Cocteau’s villa? Aurelie Millet posted a lovely slide show of her photographs of Villa Santo Sospir here. And you’ll find some images at the Villa Santo Sospir website here.
You can watch Cocteau’s La Villa Santo Sospir on Youtube.
Top image via AQQ Index
“Hmmm. Do we know of an artist who we could trade for some charming murals?”
Here’s an idea. PAY THEM. Why is it that artist’s works continue to be so undervalued?