“Un BeL ateLier MoDerne”: the MontParnasse artist at hoMe

“We hear that there are charming things inside, but respectful of the privacy of these ‘homes’ of artists, we have not spoken of them” (L’Architecture 1925: 436). such restraint— more typical of an architectural journal than of the popular press—did not last long. By the end of the decade, even specialized journals like L’Architecture were illustrating the interiors of the homes of artists who had commissioned leading architects to work for them. The journal—published by the société centrale des architectes—was until 1927 dominated by reviews of exhibitions, reports of architectural competitions and congresses, analyses of public buildings and town-planning schemes. after that date, L’Architecture grew in size and scope; now supported by the société des architectes Diplômés par le gouvernement and the association Provinciale des architectes Français, it included accounts of new buildings alongside historic ones and adopted a more conversational style. although house interiors were shown devoid of their inhabitants, there was some discussion of the personality and tastes of the clients, rather than simply the architectural character of their homes. By contrast, the drier and more factual journal L’Architecte illustrated few interiors and generally identified clients only by their initials. This informal new tone reflects both the journalistic practices of 1920s and the publicity courted by contemporary artists. it does not merely indicate a dwindling concern for privacy and a merging of the techniques of the mass media with the sober traditions of architectural journalism. it also registers a change in attitude towards artists, who, until the early twentieth century in France, were shown the deference due to public intellectuals. an expanded illustrated press and a bourgeoning entertainment industry meant that the stars of stage and screen began to appear in the pages of general interest magazines. so did artists and the studios which—with greater economic well-being after the First World War—provided them with a stylish domestic environment and enhanced opportunities for display and entertaining as well as working. This chapter examines the significance of the modern studio space in inter-war Paris and explores the interconnections between celebrity culture, the art market, and the modern studio interior. it considers the ways in which three women—chana orloff, tamara de Lempicka, and Mela Muter—made their way in a highly competitive art world, helped by an adroit manipulation of the media. all three achieved critical success in the 1920s and their choice of leading architects to design their studio-homes served to attract additional publicity. The chapter argues that the volatile economic conditions of the 1920s and 1930s gave studio design an unexpected importance. During the boom years studio-dwellings chaPter 14 “Un BeL ateLier MoDerne”: the MontParnasse artist at hoMe Louise Campbell