Eileen Gray

Author: Stephen Hecker
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Eileen Gray was a pioneer. In the fields of interior decoration and furniture design during her era, few women could be compared to her. Lilly Reich and Charlotte Perriand were among the outstanding figures, but the honors of both women were overshadowed by those of the men they worked with: Lilly Reich with Mies van der Rohe, Charlotte Perriand with Le Corbusier. However, Eileen Gray's strong personality and independence were destined to reject such close relationships; in her work, she pursued her own unique style and interests. Due to her special family background, she had a strong financial foundation. Gray came from a Scottish aristocratic family and was born in Ireland on August 9, 1878. Part of her childhood and youth was spent on her family's estate in Ireland, while the other part was spent in London, her mother's hometown. However, when she was young, she left the British Empire and moved to Paris. She spent her entire life in France until 1976.