Jean Cocteau

Jean Cocteau was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the surrealist, avant-garde, and Dadaist movements; and one of the most influential figures in early 20th-century art as a whole.

Cocteau was born in Maisons-Laffitte, France, in 1889. He began his career as a poet and playwright, and quickly became one of the leading figures in the Parisian avant-garde. He wrote several successful plays, including "Les Enfants terribles" and "Les Parents terribles."

Cocteau also directed several films, including "Orpheus" and "Beauty and the Beast." He was a prolific artist, and his work includes paintings, drawings, and sculptures. He was also a talented writer, and his essays and memoirs are considered to be classics of modern literature.

Cocteau was a complex and controversial figure, but there is no doubt that he was one of the most important artists of the 20th century. He died in 1963, at the age of 74.