Black and white view of Eileen Gray's seaside house E 1027 seen from the Mediterranean Sea.
Black and white bust-length portrait of Gray in profile with cropped hair wearing a dark jacket and white collared shirt.
Black and white bust-length portrait of Gray in profile with cropped hair wearing a dark jacket and white collared shirt.

With this online companion to Bard Graduate Center Gallery’s Eileen Gray exhibition, we invite you to click the featured images below to explore many different aspects of Gray’s career, from her celebrated projects to many lesser-known and recently rediscovered pieces on display for the first time.

Born Kathleen Eileen Moray Smith in 1878 in Ireland, the woman who came to be known simply as Eileen Gray was one of the twentieth century’s most accomplished designer-architects whose artistic practice also included painting and photography. Today she is recognized as a pioneering woman in what was the predominantly male field of modern architecture.

GRAY’S CHANGING IDENTITY

Timeline of Eileen Gray's life as displayed in the Exhibition, with images and framed photographs accompanied by captions.

CHRONOLOGY

Graphic representation of Eileen Gray's social networks featuring color-coded images of 23 of her friends, clients, and acquaintances.

ENCOUNTERS

With this online companion to Bard Graduate Center Gallery’s Eileen Gray exhibition, we invite you to click the features below to explore many different aspects of Gray’s career, from her celebrated projects to many lesser-known and recently rediscovered pieces on display for the first time.

Born Kathleen Eileen Moray Smith in 1878 in Ireland, the woman who came to be known simply as Eileen Gray was one of the twentieth century’s most accomplished designer-architects whose artistic practice also included painting and photography. Today she is recognized as a pioneering woman in what was the predominantly male field of modern architecture.

GRAY’S CHANGING IDENTITY

CHRONOLOGY

Timeline of Eileen Gray's life as displayed in the Exhibition, with images and framed photographs accompanied by captions.

ENCOUNTERS

Graphic representation of Eileen Gray's social networks featuring color-coded images of 23 of her friends, clients, and acquaintances.

EXPLORE

Bard Graduate Center's Eileen Gray exhibition installation with carpets, paintings, and an architectural model on display.

Though Eileen Gray’s career began at art school in London, she eventually expanded her practice to include lacquerwork, furniture design, and architecture, among other areas. Click the links on the right and explore her exceptional versatility. You will see new discoveries and learn about many of the objects on view in the exhibition. Click through the portfolio Gray compiled of her work.

Exhibit case containing Gray's screen, 2 tables, a bench, and 2 lamps. These are placed in front of a large mural of the boudoir for Monte Carlo - the setting these pieces of furniture were originally created for.

THE EXHIBITION

Eileen Gray’s lacquered wood work titled "Oriental Mountebanks," featuring a panel of figures dressed in colorful attire, set against a black background.

NEW DISCOVERIES

Photograph of a page from Eileen Gray's portfolio, with four images accompanied by text. The images are of architectural models of the Vacation and Leisure Center. The text labels mark the various areas such as gymnasium, restaurant, clubs, garages, theater, terraces, rooms, playground and the sea.

GRAY’S PORTFOLIO

EXPLORE

Bard Graduate Center's Eileen Gray exhibition installation with carpets, paintings, and an architectural model on display.

Though Eileen Gray’s career began at art school in London, she eventually expanded her practice to include lacquerwork, furniture design, and architecture, among other areas. Click the links on the right and explore her exceptional versatility. You will see new discoveries and learn about many of the objects on view in the exhibition. Click through the portfolio Gray compiled of her work.

THE EXHIBITION

Exhibit case containing Gray's screen, 2 tables, a bench, and 2 lamps. These are placed in front of a large mural of the boudoir for Monte Carlo - the setting these pieces of furniture were originally created for.

NEW DISCOVERIES

Eileen Gray’s lacquered wood work titled "Oriental Mountebanks," featuring a panel of figures dressed in colorful attire, set against a black background.

GRAY’S PORTFOLIO

Photograph of a page from Eileen Gray's portfolio, with four images accompanied by text. The images are of architectural models of the Vacation and Leisure Center. The text labels mark the various areas such as gymnasium, restaurant, clubs, garages, theater, terraces, rooms, playground and the sea.

SEE

Photograph of a section of BGC's Eileen Gray exhibit featuring architectural models and framed plans on pedestals in a softly lit room. The floor is wooden, and the walls are white, with additional displays visible in the adjoining room.

Gray’s career as an architect began in the early 1920s, when she developed a series of hypothetical projects and built works both on her own initiative and in collaboration with the Romanian architect Jean Badovici, her longtime friend, collaborator, and likely intimate partner. Among these were private houses for leisure retreat, public leisure facilities, social projects, and urban structures. Click on the photos to the right to explore archival images and drawings of Gray’s architecture.

Black and white view of Eileen Gray's seaside house E 1027 seen from the Mediterranean Sea.

E 1027

A detailed architectural floor plan of Tempe a Pailla with various rooms, corridors, and staircases. Black lines define the layout, including doors, walls, and fixtures. The plan features labeled sections and measurements on an off-white background.

BEING AN ARCHITECT

Image of a terrace of Tempe a Pailla shaded by palm trees, with a reclining cushioned seat on a patio seen through the living room windows.

TEMPE A PAILLA

SEE

Photograph of a section of BGC's Eileen Gray exhibit featuring architectural models and framed plans on pedestals in a softly lit room. The floor is wooden, and the walls are white, with additional displays visible in the adjoining room.

Gray’s career as an architect began in the early 1920s, when she developed a series of hypothetical projects and built works both on her own initiative and in collaboration with the Romanian architect Jean Badovici, her longtime friend, collaborator, and likely intimate partner. Among these were private houses for leisure retreat, public leisure facilities, social projects, and urban structures.

Click on the photos to explore archival images and drawings of Gray’s architecture.

E 1027

Black and white view of Eileen Gray's seaside house E 1027 seen from the Mediterranean Sea.

BEING AN ARCHITECT

A detailed architectural floor plan of Tempe a Pailla with various rooms, corridors, and staircases. Black lines define the layout, including doors, walls, and fixtures. The plan features labeled sections and measurements on an off-white background.

TEMPE A PAILLA

Image of a terrace of Tempe a Pailla shaded by palm trees, with a reclining cushioned seat on a patio seen through the living room windows.

LEARN

Photograph of Maria Baranova standing with her back to the camera. She is gesturing towards a timeline on the wall titled "Eileen Gray: Chronology and Encounters."

Whether you are an educator, parent, or just interested in learning more about Eileen Gray, use the resources on the right to dive deeper into her life and work. The Educator’s Guide and At-Home Activities provide fun opportunities for remote learning and Object Stories by BGC Teen Scholars and Gallery Educators from our MA and PhD degree programs offer insights into selected pieces in the exhibition.

Black and white interior with large sofa bed, two armchairs, two floor rugs, and a wall mural that reads "Au voyage."

AT-HOME LEARNING

Photograph of the Transat chair, designed by Eileen Gray and owned by the Maharajah of Indore, India. The chair features angular lines and a reclined backrest and is made of Lacquered wood, nickel-plated brass, leather, and canvas.

OBJECT STORIES

Link to PDF Publication: BGC Teen Voices: Spotlight on Contemporary Designers Marufa Kasham Mariel Villeré

SPOTLIGHT ON CONTEMPORARY DESIGNERS

LEARN

Photograph of Maria Baranova standing with her back to the camera. She is gesturing towards a timeline on the wall titled "Eileen Gray: Chronology and Encounters."

Whether you are an educator, parent, or just interested in learning more about Eileen Gray, use the resources on the right to dive deeper into her life and work. The Educator’s Guide and At-Home Activities provide fun opportunities for remote learning and Object Stories by BGC Teen Scholars and Gallery Educators from our MA and PhD degree programs offer insights into selected pieces in the exhibition.

EDUCATOR GUIDE

Black and white interior with large sofa bed, two armchairs, two floor rugs, and a wall mural that reads "Au voyage."

OBJECT STORIES

Photograph of the Transat chair, designed by Eileen Gray and owned by the Maharajah of Indore, India. The chair features angular lines and a reclined backrest and is made of Lacquered wood, nickel-plated brass, leather, and canvas.

READ

Gallery image displaying various framed drawings and photographs on white walls. Two leather and metal chairs are showcased on a white platform in the center of the room.

Browse this section and read more about Eileen Gray’s work as a multi-faceted designer, architect, and artist working in many mediums. Selected chapters and object case studies from the 14-chapter Eileen Gray exhibition catalogue, edited by Cloé Pitiot and Nina Stritzler-Levine, offer in-depth explorations of Gray’s life and career. Eileen Gray: Conversations by Jan Greben focuses on E 1027 and Tempe a Pailla, two of Gray’s best-known architectural projects.

Cover of Eileen Gray exhibition catalogue featuring the words Eileen Gray in varying shades of grey and cream. BGC and YALE appear on the left in black alongside "Pitiot & Stritzler-Levine."

EXHIBITION CATALOGUE

EILEEN GRAY: CONVERSATIONS

READ

Gallery image displaying various framed drawings and photographs on white walls. Two leather and metal chairs are showcased on a white platform in the center of the room.

The Eileen Gray exhibition catalogue provides an in-depth exploration of Gray’s life and career. Browse selected chapters and object case studies from the publication which spans Gray’s work as a multi-faceted designer, architect, and artist working in many mediums.

EXHIBITION CATALOGUE

Cover of Eileen Gray exhibition catalogue featuring the words Eileen Gray in varying shades of grey and cream. BGC and YALE appear on the left in black alongside "Pitiot & Stritzler-Levine."

EILEEN GRAY: CONVERSATIONS

WATCH

Exhibition image of Rodin's sculpture on a pedestal, encased within a transparent display case. The wall to the left of the pedestal is bright red, and has a lacquered screen, and a framed picture; the wall to the right of the pedestal is grayish-blue, and features text, and a charcoal drawing of a nude woman.

Watch excerpts from Bard Graduate Center’s symposium Eileen Gray: New Research and Methodologies and check back for additional video features filmed in the gallery coming soon!

Title card for Eileen Gray Gallery tour. In the upper left the Bard Graduate Center Gallery logo in black is above a title in blue that reads "Eileen Gray. Guided Tour with Rachael Schwabe, Student Educator and BGC Class of 2020." On the right is a photograph of Eileen Gray. She has short dark hair and is wearing a dark top and smiling while looking off to the right. Her elbows are resting on a surface in front of her and her hands are held up together in front of her. A large ring is visible on her left hand.

GALLERY TOUR

Flyer for "Eileen Gray: New Research and Methodologies" symposium. The event title appears in blue above a description of the event held on on Friday, Febraury 28, 9:30am–12:30pm at 38 West 86th Street, Lecture Hall at Bard Graduate Center.

EILEEN GRAY SYMPOSIUM

WATCH

Exhibition image of Rodin's sculpture on a pedestal, encased within a transparent display case. The wall to the left of the pedestal is bright red, and has a lacquered screen, and a framed picture; the wall to the right of the pedestal is grayish-blue, and features text, and a charcoal drawing of a nude woman.

Watch excerpts from Bard Graduate Center’s symposium Eileen Gray: New Research and Methodologies and a gallery tour of the exhibition!

GALLERY TOUR

Title card for Eileen Gray Gallery tour. In the upper left the Bard Graduate Center Gallery logo in black is above a title in blue that reads "Eileen Gray. Guided Tour with Rachael Schwabe, Student Educator and BGC Class of 2020." On the right is a photograph of Eileen Gray. She has short dark hair and is wearing a dark top and smiling while looking off to the right. Her elbows are resting on a surface in front of her and her hands are held up together in front of her. A large ring is visible on her left hand.

EILEEN GRAY SYMPOSIUM 

Flyer for "Eileen Gray: New Research and Methodologies" symposium. The event title appears in blue above a description of the event held on on Friday, Febraury 28, 9:30am–12:30pm at 38 West 86th Street, Lecture Hall at Bard Graduate Center.