about Charlotte Perriand  

The monumental two volume catalogue of the paintings of Le Corbusier by Naïma and Jean Pierre Jornod published by Skira in 2005 (Le Corbusier:Catalogue Raisonné de l'oeuvre peint) is not only a definitive catalogue and the most authoritative treatment of the paintings of Le Corbusier but also undoubtedly one of the most valuable sources of information regarding the private life of Le Corbusier. This work was the result of years of research and study. The cold scientific objectivity and matter-of-fact approach to the intimate, personal life of Le Corbusier reflects the "clinical" approach of Naïma Jornod who was the cardiologist who performed the first heart transplant in Switzerland. Having purchased the rights to produce this book, the Jornods were given complete access to all of the letters, diaries, notebooks etc.of Corbu without being subjected to the rigid control and censorship that the Le Corbusier Foundation of Paris normally imposed upon visiting scholars. In the Archives, Naïma Jornot discovered and published letters of Le Corbusier to his family in which he expressed his concern over the mental instability and anguish of Pierre Jeanneret caused by his emotionally traumatic relationship with Charlotte Perriand. Jeanneret was frantically chasing after Perriand and obeying her every wish but his inability to win her hand had led him to the point of a nervous breakdown. He had ceased to function and was virtually unable to work. Finally, Jornod decovered a memorandum of 23/dec/1940 written by Le Corbusier decribing his relationship with Pierre Jeanneret and Perriand. This document demolishes the myth put into circulation by Perriand that it had been Le Corbusier who had invited her to assist him in the creation of his furniture. In reality it had been Jeanneret who had pleaded with Corbu to allow Perriand to work at his side. Perriand continually used her influence over Jeanneret to obtain recognition for her alleged collaboration with the studio of Corbu. Corbu, outraged by this blackmail, described her as a ruthless person without exceptional talent. Corbu enumerated the numerous attempts on the part of Perriand to damage him and the interests of his studio,making it clear that he considered her an enemy rather than a friend. She, in turn,during the 1930's made no secret of the fact that she hated Le Corbusier. The idea that there had ever existed even the slightest collaboration between them is unimaginable. Nevertheless, after the death of Le Corbusier in her published interviews she would play the part of the devoted and faithful assitant who had been influenced by his teachings, while, at the same time, to private visitors she severely criticized Le Corbusier and contradicted his ideas.