A 1916 portrait of Jean Cocteau by Moïse Kisling, featuring the poet in a stylised, red-toned interior.

This 1916 portrait by Moïse Kisling depicts the French poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau. Kisling, a central figure of the School of Paris, captures his subject in a domestic interior that reflects the aesthetic sensibilities of the era. Cocteau is seated in a red armchair, his posture composed and his expression contemplative. The composition utilises a flattened perspective, typical of Kisling's approach to interior scenes, where the furniture and architectural elements are arranged to create a decorative, almost stage-like environment.

The colour palette is dominated by deep reds and muted greys, providing a contrast between the warmth of the room and the cool, detached demeanour of the sitter. Kisling employs a distinct brushwork style, applying paint with a textured quality that gives the surface a tactile presence. The inclusion of a small chair in the foreground and a window looking out onto a simplified urban view adds to the sense of a private, enclosed space.

Kisling was known for his portraits of the bohemian circle in Montparnasse, and this work is a characteristic example of his ability to render the personalities of his contemporaries. The painting avoids excessive detail, focusing instead on the structural arrangement of the room and the psychological presence of the figure. By placing Cocteau within this specific, stylised setting, Kisling creates a portrait that functions as both a likeness and a study of the artist's own visual language during the mid-1910s.