Le Mot (French for “The Word”), designed by Jean Cocteau and Paul Iribe, was a striking example of wartime propaganda, promoting French nationalism and anti-German sentiment (Paris, 1914-1915).
In both layout and content, it functioned not only a satirical newspaper but also an art magazine and illustrated weekly, “born and nourished by the war,” as its editorial team defined it.
Cocteau was in his early twenties when Workd War I broke out, a time where cultural expression was stifled by the conflict, silencing artists and calling them to serve the patriotic cause. Unable to enlist due to health reasons, Cocteau joined forces with Iribe to create Le Mot as his way of contributing to the national effort.
Many prominent figures of the art and cultural spheres contributed to the magazine, which operated like a fertile laboratory for critical thinking, writing, and illustration that encouraged a sharp discerning eye among readers through its subversive wit and aesthetic provocation.
Le Mot quickly grew in popularity to become a weeky publication. Early issues were often distributed free to French soldiers and, in a clever psychological twist, even dropped over enemy lines to demoralize German troops. As one reader remarked, the magazine was “like a shot of 75mm [French field gun].”
The Château Cramirat Collection is a treasure trove of art and design by philosopher of science Anna Ravitzki and designer Dan Alexander, housed in a 12th-century Templar landmark in the Valley of Mankind, Périgord, France.
Cocteau, Jean, and Iribe, Paul. Le Mot, No. 6, 1re Année, January 16, 1915. Paris: Société Générale d’Impression, 1914-1915.
