6.14.2010

Duncan Grant Tempts Me

It's true, he was very handsome ...





And here, looking like Jarvis Cocker in his self-portrait -- this is also maybe the only acceptable use of a wide tie that I've ever seen:



however, Duncan Grant is dead. Given this sad fact, I'll content myself with his textiles, which have been reproduced by Charleston House:



True to forn, they are a bit dear for my budget (£25 per half meter), but if I suddenly fall into more money than I need, I'd like to do a whole bedroom -- walls, drapery, furniture upholstery, bedding -- in one of these patterns.

And since we've moved to the realm of fantasy, I'm going to imagine myself invited to this tea, where I would doubtless be struck dumb by the brain-power surrounding me, spill tea on myself, be wittily cut in half by the other participants and take the train back to Claridge's to sob myself to sleep:



Oh, Lytton. He was Duncan Grant's main thing. Grant was also involved (concurrently? The dates of their dalliance don't come to mind) with John Maynard Keynes, the economist whose ideas are running our economic policy in Washington these days (as parsed in the third act of this fascinating This American Life Story story).

***Addendum -- photographic portraits of Mr. Grant found through Lisa at A Bloomsbury Life.

5 comments:

Victoria Thorne said...

A string of beauties. The textile patterns you chose are the ones that made me swoon years ago...I would've (practically) died for them. Still adore. And Duncan is a classic, isn't he?

I think they'd have loved you at tea, honestly.

Lisa Borgnes Giramonti said...

I'm swooning, too...God, he was gorgeous. You know of course about the "grande scandale", right? When Duncan's daughter (with Vanessa Bell), Angelica was born, Duncan's lover Bunny Garnett looked down on her and remarked,, "I think of marrying it. When she is 20, I shall be 46. Will it be scandalous?" He did. And it was.

And...are you kidding? If you were at tea with them, they would have NEVER let you go! They would be besotted with you, NO question.

Want. That. West. Wind. Fabric. Something. Fierce.

xxx

Nick Heywood said...

Ha! No, I haven't heard that one, but that is just about perfect. Really though, the best part is that he calls her "it."

Luce Adams said...

Selfishly, I am glad you're back in the saddle.

Anonymous said...

His self portrait is fabulous.


-Zane of ontario honey

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