While France was the centre of the modernist movement its artistic heartbeat was driven by figures from around the world. Some of the most important figures who flocked to the avant-garde flame raging in Paris hailed from Ireland. One of the most important of these provocateurs of change was Eileen Gray. Originally hailing from Enniscorthy, Gray reshaped popular tastes in architecture and interior design during her time in France. Her legacy can be found in cities and homes around the world, her modernist designs inspiring decades after they first wowed the world.
One of five children Eileen and her siblings enjoyed all the benefits of a progressive Anglo-Irish upbringing in the late 19th century. Her father, a painter himself, encouraged Eileen’s artistic endeavours while her mother, and high social status, afforded Gray the freedom to pursue the life of an artist. Paris was the key to Eileen’s artistic development though. While she first studied art in London’s Slade School of Art it was in the City of Light where Eileen’s personal vision developed amidst the wash of European trends.
Eileen’s first visited her future home at the turn of the century. Her father had passed away and her mother decided to take the young Gray away to Paris. Celebrations of the past century were in full swing with the work of some of the most pioneering artists on display at the World’s fair, Exposition Universelle. Art Nouveau was widely on display during the exhibition and Eileen was able to experience the works of artists like Charles Rennie Mackintosh in person. This first experience of Paris had a huge impact on Eileen and she soon emigrated there with her close friends and fellow artists, Jessie Gavin and Kathleen Bruch.
For the next few years Eileen travelled widely between Paris, Ireland, and London. The French capitol was fast becoming her home though and it was here that she spent most time and continued her studies. 1905 brought Eileen back to London, if only for a short time, as she tended to her sick mother. Here she became interested in lacquer work and began to study this ancient technique. When she returned to Paris the following year she brought this new fascination with her and began to train with Seizo Sugawara, a Japanese craftsman who had come to Paris to tend and repair the lacquer works at the World’s fair.
The Pavilions of the Nations, II, Exposition Universal, 1900, Paris, France
Eight years after beginning her training Eileen exhibited her first pieces of lacquer work. While her work was well received the outbreak of the First World War put Eileen’s career on somewhat of a hiatus as she returned to London and France was engulfed in barbed wire and trenches. The end of the war brought Eileen back to Paris and began a new chapter of her life. Upon her return Eileen was hired by a boutique owner to decorate an apartment on the rue de Lota.
Over the next four years Eileen imposed her vision on this space. She personally designed most of the furniture and carpets and installed lacquer panels in the walls. The minimalist style she used was a massive success, garnishing favourable reviews and attention from art critics and giving her financial independence from the family fortune. Capitalising on this success Eileen opened her own shop, Jean Déserts, where she exhibited and sold works of her own alongside other artists.
This interest in interior design soon expanded and in 1924 she began work designing her first house with her lover, the Romanian architect and writer Jean Badovici. Using simple open designs the couple created a masterpiece of modern architecture known as ‘E-1027’ near Monaco. Forced abandonment during the Second World War saw the building looted and years of neglect had left it in a poor state of repair in the ‘90s. Today though ‘E-1027’ has been designated a French National Cultural Monument and is undergoing renovation and repairs.
While her relationship with Badovici ended shortly after the completion of ‘E-1027’, Eileen continued to work and evolve as a designer and architect. In 1931 she began work on a new house on the French Riviera near the Italian border. Regarded as another modern masterpiece Eileen designed ‘Tempe à Pailla’ as both workspace and home with flexible furniture allowing for the space to be easily transformed. While she continued to work for the rest of her life designing buildings and furniture the ‘20s and ‘30s would remain Eileen’s greatest years.
Eileen Gray circa 1910, artist unknown
The outbreak of the Second World War and Germany’s occupation of France hindered Eileen as she was forced, once again, to move; this time being forced to move inland from the French coast. When peace arrived Eileen returned to Paris and the world of art and design once again. The passage of time had left Eileen behind, however, and she found herself out of style and largely forgotten by the art world and design industry. An already shy person this period saw Eileen become increasingly withdrawn.
As the ‘60s came to a close and the minimalist movement began to gather steam Eileen’s work enjoyed a renaissance. Her simple designs were celebrated and her furniture became modern classics. When the French designer Yves Saint-Laurent began championing her work Eileen’s legacy was secured. In October 1976 Eileen Gray died in her Paris apartment, she had worked diligently right to the end of her 98 year long life. Though not as celebrated as her fellow Irish Francophiles, Joyce and Beckett, Eileen Gray is still one of the greatest modernists, with an outstanding legacy in the world of architecture and design.
Patrick is joined by a panel of experts as ‘Talking History’ delves into the life and legacy of Eileen Gray. Listen in as we look back on her long and successful life, her wide travels and shy demeanor, her loves and affairs, and the works she left behind. Why was she so drawn to France? What was her personal life like? What exactly made her such a great artist? And how did a shy girl from Enniscorthy become one of the most influential artists and designers of the 20th century?
Patrick also talked with Geoffrey Roberts about 'Marshal of Victory: The Autobiography of General Georgy Zhukov', the life of this great Soviet tactician, and what it was like editing this work. A full list of 'Talking History' book recommendations can be found here.
