
La Machine infernale (The Infernal Machine) (G. 197)
A white earthenware round dish by Jean Cocteau painted with coloured enamels, referencing his surrealist theatrical work 'The Infernal Machine'. This decorative object merges fine art with functional ceramics.
- Medium
- White earthenware round dish painted in coloured enamels.
- Location
- Phillips, Salt Lake City, UT
- Spotted At
- Auction House · PhillipsView on map
🔨 Auction Lot
Evening & Day Editions
January 21, 2021
More by Jean Cocteau
Artists in conversation

Pablo Picasso
Spanish · b. 1881

Picasso created painted ceramic dishes and decorative earthenware pieces with bold figurative imagery drawn from mythology and theater, directly paralleling Cocteau's merging of fine art with functional ceramics and surrealist theatrical themes.

Joan Miró
Spanish · b. 1893

Miró extensively explored ceramic art with coloured enamel decorations featuring surrealist imagery, producing painted dishes and decorative objects that share the same playful surrealist aesthetic and fine art approach to functional ceramic forms.
Jean Lurçat
French · b. 1892
Lurçat was a French artist who bridged fine art and decorative craft traditions, applying bold coloured imagery with surrealist and theatrical references to ceramic and enamel objects in a manner closely aligned with Cocteau's decorative earthenware work.
Start the Discussion
Request access to join the discussion