Two 1920s prints: the Frivolous Prince and the War Artist.

In November two prints were purchased for the National Football Museum’s art collection.  They date from the 1920s – this is slightly earlier than our focus to find post-war to present day artworks, but the importance of the artists and the quality of the prints meant these were too good to miss out on!

The many arms of Cocteau’s talents!

The first print is a line-cut or line engraving by French artist Jean Cocteau (1889–1963).  Jean Cocteau was a man of many talents: he was an artist, poet, writer, playwright, filmmaker and designer; and known as the ‘Frivolous Prince’ (the title of an anthology he published in the 1920s). Cocteau had many famous friends in his avante-garde circle, including the singer Edith Piaf, fashion designer Coco Chanel,  and the artist Pablo Picasso – who designed sets for Cocteau’s ballet productions (see an illustrated letter from Picasso to Cocteau in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection here).

Quack Quack… QUICK!

The Cartoon Museum – situated in an old dairy building in Bloomsbury – look at those lovely tiles!

Last month I attended a meeting in London with the other recipients of the Collecting Cultures grant money awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.  It was great to hear how the other projects are coming along, and from those that have finished their projects too.  We also heard about some of the interesting items purchased for various public museums and galleries across the UK – including couture clothes, photographs, diaries and a suffragette banner.  Our host was the Cartoon Museum – a haven for British comic art situated in Bloomsbury.  For their Collecting Cultures project, ‘Comic Creators’, the Cartoon Museum purchased this original pen, ink and watercolour on paper in 2016.  It features a familiar footballing face – Roy of the Rovers by Mike White.  This would be at home at the National Football Museum too!