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A review by emitya
Eileen Gray: A House Under the Sun by Charlotte Malterre-Barthes
4.0
“Memories cling to things so it’s better to start anew.”
I really enjoyed this beautifully illustrated graphic novel/biography depicting fragments of Eileen Gray’s life, particularly her Modernist masterpiece E-1027.
Having very little knowledge about the designer before reading, I’ve come away wanting to learn lots more. She clearly had a wonderful eye for interiors and felt quietly passionate about connecting living space to its human inhabitants, reflecting their need for flexibility and growth.
What I blindly didn’t expect was her connection to the 1920s Left Bank scene in Paris, nor did I know she frequented Natalie Barney’s salon (I honestly didn’t know a thing about her!). It was really beautiful how I heard of her work on a radio programme unbeknownst to her private life and she ended up being woven into lesbian/sapphic history, I’m really looking forward to researching her further and was thankful for the reading list at the end of the book.
As far as providing great detail about her life, this book isn’t the place to go; but for a gorgeously visual journey to quench an initial intrigue, it did the job perfectly.
I really enjoyed this beautifully illustrated graphic novel/biography depicting fragments of Eileen Gray’s life, particularly her Modernist masterpiece E-1027.
Having very little knowledge about the designer before reading, I’ve come away wanting to learn lots more. She clearly had a wonderful eye for interiors and felt quietly passionate about connecting living space to its human inhabitants, reflecting their need for flexibility and growth.
What I blindly didn’t expect was her connection to the 1920s Left Bank scene in Paris, nor did I know she frequented Natalie Barney’s salon (I honestly didn’t know a thing about her!). It was really beautiful how I heard of her work on a radio programme unbeknownst to her private life and she ended up being woven into lesbian/sapphic history, I’m really looking forward to researching her further and was thankful for the reading list at the end of the book.
As far as providing great detail about her life, this book isn’t the place to go; but for a gorgeously visual journey to quench an initial intrigue, it did the job perfectly.