Abstract: The Cocardes of Cocteau-Poulenc were created for a concert-show in 1920. They were situated at a key moment in Jean Cocteau’s thought when he was seeking to establish a national aesthetic common to the different arts (see Le Coq et L’Arlequin). Popular forms of the time (songs, circuses, fairs, and music halls) served as examples. The three melodies participate in a circulation between poetry, music, and painting and bring into focus the elements of a universe that is both prosaic and wondrous.
