Jean Bourgoint

Jean Bourgoint (25 June 1905 – 11 March 1966), known in religious life as Brother Pascal, was a French socialite, artist, and designer who became a prominent figure in the bohemian circles of interwar Paris. He and his sister, Jeanne Bourgoint, served as the primary inspirations for the central characters in Jean Cocteau's 1929 novel, Les Enfants Terribles. Following a series of personal tragedies and a spiritual conversion influenced by Neo-Thomism, he entered the Cistercians and spent his final years serving in a leper colony in Cameroon.

Early life and parisian years Bourgoint was born in the 9th arrondissement of Paris on rue Rodier. Bourgoint produced his own fine art. His portfolio largely consisted of delicate, figurative sketches, watercolor paintings, and portraits that mirrored the minimalist, fluid linework style popular in Cocteau's immediate social circle. A small number of his surviving original drawings are traded through fine art auction houses.

Gifted with a strong sense of aesthetic style, Bourgoint worked in the decorative arts, creating patterns and custom textile designs. His visual sensibilities allowed him to conceptualize fashion layouts and fabric illustrations, operating briefly within the intersection of the Paris fashion and art worlds.

Muse to Jean Cocteau Bourgoint met Jean Cocteau when he was sixteen, beginning an intimate relationship and shared struggle with opium addiction. The intense, secluded world the siblings inhabited inspired the main characters in Cocteau's famous novel, Les Enfants Terribles.

Inspiration for Les Enfants Terribles The tragic death of his sister Jeanne by suicide in 1929 profoundly affected Bourgoint. Following a split from Cocteau and the suicide of his sister Jeanne in 1929, Bourgoint suffered deep personal loss. He was also a frequent subject for artists, most notably in Christopher Wood's 1926 portrait, Boy with Cat. Seeking a more radical expression of his faith, he departed for Africa, eventually settling at a leper colony in Mokolo, Cameroon.

Personal life Following their meeting in 1920, Bourgoint and Jean Cocteau formed an intense bond and were lovers.