Opium, dream and Orpheus : Jean Cocteau on artistic creation

The article analyses creative process of Jean Cocteau, his ways of artistic searchings and expression. The avant-garde artist considered any piece of art to be a poetry and dedicated many writings to that subject. Poetry was said to be the highest form of knowledge. Opium and dreams were important sources of inspiration for the artist. For Cocteau, narcotic ecstasy was a kind of a border experience between reality and unreal sphere of urges of creation and destruction. The paper, based on novels and films of Cocteau with particular reference to Orphic Trilogy, describes and analyses his theory and practice of searching, creating and perceiving of art.