Archive Journeys: Bloomsbury Biographies: Duncan Grant, relationships

Starting out | Paris 1906-7 | Relationships | The War and Charleston | The later years

Relationships

Back in London, Duncan Grant formed relationships over the next few years that were to affect the course of his life and work. In 1908, he became romantically involved with Maynard Keynes, a university friend of his cousin Lytton Strachey. They travelled widely in Europe seeing much that would influence Grant's artistic style.

In 1910 Grant met Roger Fry who was to be a major influence on his work, and in 1913 his friendship with Vanessa Bell, who shared many of his ideas about art, developed into a relationship.

Grant and Bell worked closely on artistic projects and, though Grant would have many parallel relationships with men, they remained close companions for the rest of their lives. In 1918 Vanessa gave birth to Duncan's child, Angelica.

The following quotation taken from a letter Vanessa Bell wrote to her son Julian over twenty years later, suggests the strength of their feelings for each other, as well as providing an insight into Grant's character:

He is so incredibly full of charm, his genius as an artist seems to overflow so into his life and character & he is so amusing too and odd and unaccountable that lots of people I think don't see clearly what to me is really his most adorable quality - his honesty - disinterestedness absolute sincerity & simplicity of character which make me depend upon him always.

Letter from Vanessa Bell to Julian Bell, 7 Mar 1937