Where Barney Lived in Paris Before Opening Her Famous Salon in 1909

Natalie Clifford Barney was Renée Vivien's childhood friend and was introduced to her through mutual friends at a theatre box in Paris. They connected over their shared intellectual passions. One of their main activities together was learning Greek in order to translate Sappho's work into French. Vivien in particular is known for being the first to translate Sappho's poetry in an explicitly lesbian manner. They wrote plays about Sappho based on their translations of her work, performing for their friends at Natalie's home at 56 Rue de Longchamp. The third attached photo showcases a regular evening of entertainment at Barney's home, with guests dressed in Ancient Greek fashion and acting out one of Barney and Vivien's plays. This was often accompanied by the playing of musical instruments, as pictured here. These performances later led Natalie to turn her next home into a lesbian literary salon for elite and mostly expatriate women. Vivien and Barney's relationship was turbulent, as Vivien staunchly believed in monogamy and Barney wanted a more open relationship. This was the main reason for their split in 1901, but Barney would try to win Vivien back for the rest of Vivien's short life. One memorable stunt was when Barney asked one of her friends, mezzo-soprano singer Emma Calvé, to sing underneath Vivien's window and to throw a poem tied to a bundle of flowers up to her. This attempt failed, as Vivien's governess intercepted the poem and flowers. There was some reconciliation later, as the two traveled to the island Lesbos, in Greece and Vivien purchased a house in Mytilene. This was in an attempt to set up their own lesbian colony in 1904, inspired by the academy Sappho created on the island. Vivien left Barney early into this trip after receiving a letter from her lover, wealthy baroness Hélène de Zuylen de Nyevelt, with the intention of breaking up with her. Vivien did not return to Lesbos and stayed together with the baroness until she left Vivien for another woman in 1907. In a final attempt to rekindle their relationship, Barney purchased a house at 20 Rue Jacob, promising that she and Vivien would live there together. Unfortunately, Vivien died the day before they were supposed to move into their new home in 1909. Barney's new home would become the famous salon that she is well-known for, which included a Masonic temple in the backyard where she would host elaborate gatherings, including dances, performances of the plays she and Vivien wrote, and entertainers on horseback.

Text Sources:

Ayachi, Janette. “Jealous Love: Natalie Barney & Renée Vivien • Poetry School.” Poetry School, September 14, 2015. https://poetryschool.com/theblog/jealous-love-natalie-barney-renee-vivien/.

Hepburn, Lauren. “Renée Vivien: Sappho’s First Lesbian Translator.” Peter Harrington Blog (blog), February 10, 2021. https://www.peterharrington.co.uk/blog/renee-viviensapphos-first-female-translator/.

Piepenbring, Dan. “Love Is a Bohemian.” The Paris Review (blog), June 11, 2015. https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2015/06/11/love-is-a-bohemian/.

“Renée Vivien.” In Prabook, 2021. https://prabook.com/web/renee.vivien/3778564.

Rolle, Elisa. “Violet Shillito.” Queer Places. Accessed December 15, 2021. http://www.elisarolle.com/queerplaces/uvwxyz/Violet%20Shillito.html.

Image Sources:

"A Gathering of Women Including Eva Palmer, Natalie Barney, and Liane de Pougy in Barney's Garden." Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 96-153, Alice Pike Barney Papers.

“Barney,” 2018. https://www.messynessychic.com/2018/07/06/the-forgotten-lgbt-queen-of-paris-and-her-secret-masonic-temple/.

"Vivien's Translations of Sappho's Poetry, 1903," Peter Harrington Blog (blog), February 10, 2021. https://www.peterharrington.co.uk/blog/renee-viviensapphos-first-female-translator/.