Ne pas réveiller, s.v.p. ! Ou les propriétés mystérieuses du marbre Le motif de la statue animée chez Jean Cocteau

The living statue, a tightrope-walker between two worlds, is a major figure for Jean Cocteau. After examining its history and the general conditions under which it appears, this article highlights the particularities of this figure for Cocteau and establishes its relationship with the medium used. Its oscillation between movement and stasis is not only a metaphor for the hesitation between life and death; it also incarnates Cocteau’s own back-and-forth between different media.