Musée Jean Cocteau

My introduction to the non-musical arts came via the bands I loved in the late seventies and early eighties. Of course, they were labelled pretentious at the time, but these bands provided a frame around their own work that variously included, borrowed, and outright stole from their influences, musical and otherwise.

I don't know where I would have otherwise come across artists, cinematographers, and writers like Jean Cocteau, Picasso, Warhol, Wim Wenders, JG Ballard, Philip K Dick to name but a few without people like Nick Rhodes and David Sylvian guiding me.

I'm pretty sure it was through Sylvian that I first came across Jean Cocteau, most likely around the time of his stunning 'Brilliant Trees' album, and as we were driving through Menton the other day, I saw that there was a Jean Cocteau museum there.

And so that is where we went, this afternoon, taking the train from Ventimiglia to Menton, and then walking down to the seafront and along to the museum. I think that there are actually two museums, one of which is currently closed, so we went to the smaller one, Le Bastion. 

I think out of everything that was there, my favourites were the sketches of the angels, which I don't remember seeing before.

There was also a good shop, which is where I bought the MInx this fan. Menton was very hot! (Hence post-museum ice creams and beers!)