30 November 1938 to early 1940, part 1

30 Nov –

The students talk about the ‘grève’ [sic: strike][1] and not seriously – laugh about as if nothing –

I get again 12 Marks for my work [.] I am disgusted it is not good and blue streaks on it [.] Paul does something to it [,] I stop him – The Egyptian is fussy – he gets 14 pts [sic: points] – I can’t stand him – He is an ox – Xtian [Christian Poulsen] is a [illegible] potter [,] no artist[2]-

In the afternoon we go to the drawing school at ----- [.] We find a woman posing [,] she is beautiful in the European way, lips red hair black – She has a beautiful body and I am thrilled [.] I draw as if possessed – It must be a strain to pose [,] she looks at the people as if to despise them [,] her personality dominates - & I [illegible] [.] I respect her and feel she is more human than them all – pretty girls [,] old men – young men and chinese [sic: Chinese] [.]  She looks at me and I wonder what she is thinking – The studio is warm [,] there is a stove to warm her – I wonder what they would think in South Africa – a white woman exposing herself to the view of niggers and chinese [sic: Chinese] etc etc [.] the Dutch reformed Ch [sic: Dutch Reformed Church] would have something to say no doubt.  A man looks at me and wonder if he is not a Nazi – I wonder if the other women do not envy her for her beauty [,] but they have money, position etc etc – She rests for some [illegible] & Algerian –

[/P] Xtian [Christian Poulsen] and I go to Le Dome for cigs [sic: cigarettes] – I am happy to be in their company [.] I like the Algerian [,] short fellow – He says one must teach oneself to be an artist [.] I wish I were a Frenchman & he [,] free – I think of the letter from Jones & I am unhappy – I walk as if I were French –

Return to find model talking to a young man & I feel the model will take her place one day beside Greta Garbo[3] [,] it will be great to speak to her – She has been despised but she will take her place one day – She poses again & we are intent drawing & drawing –

Woman beside me works hard & man only left clever but limited by tradition – ([illegible] shows another room) – Another model [,] short & energetic [.]  Short poses and it is wonderful how long she stands – humourous [,] smiles at the painted girl who smiles back in condescending fashion – Old man shouts “Change” after every 5 minutes [.] Xtian [Christian Poulsen] goes to next room – He likes long poses –

The room has a few paintings on the walls, a plaster male figure in plaster showing muscles –

At 7 [sic: 7 o’clock] we go away & pay – Xtian [Christian Poulsen] goes to search for [illegible name] – They eat together –

After supper I go to look for Russo Rosso [,] Bd Edgar Quintet [sic: Boulevard Edgar Quinet], I find him eating his supper [illegible] Studio - For the first time I feel I am face to face with a great artist – He reads Lippy [Lippy Lipshitz] letter & apologises for eating alone – He laughs says still the same old Lippy – asks about CapeTown – Produces a book [,] English [,] & says he has begun to learn English – I show him a few things & he laughs when he read correctly – we go to Le Dome [sic: Le Dôme café] & the artists stand in a corner & shows me to other [.] they are good fellows [,] most grey haired energetic fellows – They talk and a group walks through [illegible] & points at one or the other & they laugh.  Rosso asks if Lippy is married – We take coffee & go down Bd Monparnasse [sic: Boulevard Montparnasse] talking [.] He tells me he has been 30 years in Paris [.] Le Dome [sic: Le Le Dôme] used to be the home of the artist but now too many Bourgeois Select & (    ) & ------.   were little place in those days when Lippy was there [.] 

[/P] We part company [,] I am V [sic: very] happy [,] I go to Select & meet Xtian [Christian Poulsen] with Pelzie & white Danes – We sit & talk & go at 11.  Pelzie was in Spain at the beginning of the Revolution[4] & discuss the possibilities of the Strike tomorrow & I feel Daladier [Prime Minister of France, Édouard Daladier[5]] – might go & if not [,] a dictatorship in France.

[note in margin:] Read English papers Daily Mail [newspaper] Continental

I go to school and soldiers (Garde Mobile) at every street corner – At Prefecture [,] armed soldiers as I pass – I don’t know what to feel – At school all is normal – the buses are running and no indications of grève [French: strike] – Make a Grecian decoration [,] a skull [illegible] & fellows think it is foolish –

Dinner & I go with Xtian [Christian Poulsen] & buys potatoes & does not go back to school

Afternoon I work on relief & Algerian makes a bust of me – afterwards we go to Cafoulade & have a wine - & then to his rooms [,] he is friendly – He shows me his work and copies of Rodin [Auguste Rodin][6] & Maillol [Aristide Maillol][7] – He draws & paints & go home & eat – No excitement

[/P] People buy the papers & I speak for the first time with man reading an English book – been to Cambridge – thinks the English student practical but agrees not logical – good fellows –

Meet Chago[8] – Sad his brother dead – we look for paper - & back to bed – He speaks little & say 15yrs [sic: 15 years] ago he saw his mother