Interieur chapelle Saint Blaise 1959

This is one of Jean Cocteau’s murals in the Chapelle Saint Blaise, a small chapel in France. I’m struck by the rawness of the lines, how they seem both tentative and bold, like he’s feeling his way through the image. It reminds me that artmaking is a process of discovery, a kind of stumbling in the dark until you find your way. Look at the texture of the wall, how the paint is thin and almost transparent in places, allowing the surface to show through. It gives the mural a sense of fragility, as if it could disappear at any moment. And then there are those red dots, like drops of blood or tears, punctuating the image with a sense of pain and loss. Each mark feels deliberate. Cocteau’s work often explored themes of love, death, and transformation, and you can see those concerns at play here. Think of Giotto, another artist who knew how to make every line count, and who was not afraid to tackle big subjects with simple means. Ultimately, art is about asking questions, not providing answers.