From Antinous (1954).
A few drawings and paintings by Jean Boullet, a prolific French illustrator who was also a writer—passionate about “sexology, conjuring, magic, demonology, and mythology”, says Wikipédia—and a film critic. His illustrations range from books by Raymond Radiguet, Boris Vian and Edgar Allan Poe to unabashed homoerotic collections of his own, one of which, Tapis volant (1945), has an introduction by Jean Cocteau. Boullet’s figures are very Cocteau-like, especially those depicting the sailors which Cocteau also liked to draw and fantasise about. The Au Bonheur du Jour gallery has many pages of Boullet’s drawings and publications, while Bibliothèque Gay has several posts showing complete sets of drawings from some of his books. Many of the artist’s drawings circulating without credit on the web seem to originate there. Don’t miss Metamorphoses (1950).
• See also: The Male Universe of Subversive Genius Jean Boullet by Julien Beyle.
Portrait of Jean Marais.
Portrait of Kenneth Anger.
From Les Beaux Gars (1951).
From Les Beaux Gars (1951).
From Antinous (1954).
From Les Beaux Gars (1951).
Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The gay artists archive
Has he been identified as or investigated as possibly being the author of The White Book (or White Paper) which used to be identified with Cocteau? He certainly looks like a good candidate both in his drawing style and in his biographical profile. I haven’t heard anything about the beautiful White Book since college — which was a long time ago — so I apologize if this a redundant question.
I think if Boullet had written The White Book he would have been pretty vocal about it, he didn’t seem to care what people thought about him, unlike Cocteau who had his reputation to consider.
One of my earlier posts was about the Cocteau book and its illustrations:
http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2010/03/02/le-livre-blanc-by-jean-cocteau/
The links to the pictures seem to be dead ones, unfortunately.
Boullet was born in 1921, and the White Book was published in 1928. I think that answers Carridine’s question :)
The Boullet book published by Au Bonheur du Jour is absolutely wonderful, by the way.