A House Under the Sun: The comic to discover the architect Eileen Gray
"Eileen Gray - A House Under the Sun" is a comic that pays homage to the E-1027 villa of Eileen Gray, a key figure in modern design. Through the vibrant illustrations of Zosia Dzierzawska and the sensitive texts of Charlotte Malterre-Barthes, the reader delves into the controversial history of the villa in which the architect Le Corbusier died in 1965.
Born in Ireland in 1878, Gray began her career as a designer, opening a furniture boutique in Paris in 1922, where she quickly made a name for herself in the world of modern design. She met her lover Jean Badovici, a French architect, in 1923. Their encounter marked a turning point in her career, together they designed and built their summer house "E-1027", a modernist villa in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, which bears the name of their love.
« E for Eileen, 10 for Jean, “J” being the tenth letter of the alphabet. 2 for “B” – Bado and 7 for “G”: Gray »
However, their love deteriorated, and in 1933, Gray permanently left their home. Her departure marked a turning point in the history of the villa, marked by the controversial intervention of Le Corbusier. In 1938, the architect from La Chaux-de-Fonds was invited to stay in the villa by his friend Badovici. During this visit, took ownership of the house by painting colorful frescoes that drastically altered the minimalist aesthetic designed by Gray. The final pages of the comic perfectly illustrate this disfigurement thanks to Zosia Dzierzawska's vibrant drawings, which capture Le Corbusier's selfishness and arrogance.
My only criticism of this comic would be that the events are told quite concisely, which limits the depth of the story, but which nevertheless stimulates the reader's curiosity and encourages them to deepen their research on Eileen Gray. This comic strip contributes to the rehabilitation of Gray in the history of architecture, while stimulating the reader's curiosity. It is a book that is both enriching and aesthetic, which naturally finds its place in the library of any art or architecture enthusiast.
Purchase of the book (in Switzerland):
https://www.exlibris.ch/de/buecher-buch/english-books/charlotte-malterre-barthes/a-eileen-gray-a-house-under-the-sun/id/9781910620434/
For more information on the illustrator Zosia Dzierzawska:
https://www.zozozosia.com/home-list/
More info on the architect Charlotte Malterre Barthes:
https://www.charlottemalterrebarthes.com/
