About this artwork
In this retelling of the classic legend of King Arthur, Jean Cocteau reimagined the character of Merlin—traditionally portrayed as a benevolent wizard—as a villain in need of exorcism from demonic forces. Most of Cocteau’s work is in some way autobiographical, and during this time he was struggling with opium addiction. The depiction of Merlin as haunted by disembodied, malicious influences mirrors Cocteau’s battles with substance abuse.
Cocteau’s friend Mary Reynolds bound and designed the book. For the covers and endpapers, she chose a pattern of fleur-de-lis, an emblem resembling a lily commonly seen on French shields worn during battle.
The play premiered in 1937 at the Théâtre de l’Œuvre, a longtime ally to the avant-garde artists of France. Forty years earlier, the theater had produced Alfred Jarry’s modernist play Ubu Roi , the manuscript of which Reynolds also bound.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Ryerson and Burnham Libraries Special Collections
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Artist
- Mary Reynolds
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Title
- Les chevaliers de la table ronde: Pièce en trois actes (The Knights of the Roundtable: A play in three acts)
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Place
- Paris (Object made in:)
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Date
- 1937
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Medium
- Quarter vellum with white paper decorated with fleurs-de-lis; endpapers decorated with gold fleurs-de-lis; title stamped in gold on spine; original paper covers bound in; inscription and pen and ink drawing by Cocteau
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Dimensions
- H.: 19 cm (7 1/2 in.)
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Credit Line
- Mary Reynolds Collection, Ryerson & Burnham Libraries
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Reference Number
- 2024.853
Extended information about this artwork
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