Jennifer Goff

Eileen Gray


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He also noted how ‘death took a hand once in a while’ when a young shy Russian woman art student was found dead of starvation in her studio, her arm outstretched, holding a letter containing a cheque from home. He recalled many casualties from poverty in the artistic field. ‘She was not the only one to die of Paris, and privacy and poverty. It was impossible to pause, we were working. One did not listen to hard luck tales except from one’s nearest and dearest; there were too many of them’.40

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      2.12 Mixed art class, England, 1900, black and white photograph ©Topfoto

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      2.13 Académie Julian mixed class, 1904, black and white photograph, © Roger Viollet/Topfoto

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      2.14 Académie Julian life drawing class, 1910, black and white photograph, © Roger Viollet/Topfoto

      In Bruce’s autobiography she explains that at first none of the three friends (Gray, Gavin and herself) spoke French. Bruce also gives in-depth details of her daily routine and daily expenditure on food. She rose early at 6 a.m and went bathing. Then she had ‘a roll for breakfast with a cup of chocolate when funds were good, and so back to work at the art school at 8 a.m. At twelve, lunch in a little restaurant, and back to work at one. No tea. Dinner at seven. Occasionally back to the night class, occasionally a club dance or the gallery of the opera, but more usually home to bed’. Bruce’s daily expenditure on food was 95 centimes. She won a competition shortly after arrival and as a result did not have to pay fees. She was then appointed Massier where she became responsible for posing the model on the Monday morning, calling time for classes, stoking the fire and opening windows at lunchtime.