This post is part of an ongoing series featuring items from the
newly acquired Julio Mario Santo Domingo collection. Known for
the openly sexual themes in his work as well as for his battle
with opium addiction, the creative polymath Jean Cocteau is a
fitting author for inclusion in the Santo Domingo Collection.
Maison de santé, one of the works Cocteau produced during his
detoxification cures, consists of Cocteau’s line illustrations,
many of them twisted self-portraits, and text reproduced from
his original manuscript. This copy, one of an edition of 500
published by Editions Briant-Robert, features on its half-title
page an original Cocteau pencil illustration, depicting the
author at his opium pipe, and an inscription “à mon Jacques”,
dated 1938. The Jacques referred to here is likely the
philosopher Jacques Maritain. A devout Catholic, Maritain
supported Cocteau’s recovery from opium addiction as well as his
return to the church, both of which proved temporary. Jean
Cocteau. Maison de santé. Paris: Editi