Diary of Marie Bashkirtseff
CZENUKFR

Sunday, 13 March 1881

I am at a low ebb. And there is everything still to do on the canvas! I shall never have time! And to be mocked by the men downstairs,1 and by all the Breslaus2 of the earth — no. Julian says that as things stand it is mediocre, but that with a great deal of calm one can still rescue it... Bother.

Je suis à bas. Et j'ai tout à faire au tableau ! Jamais je n'aurai le temps ! Et être blaguée par les hommes d'en bas, et par toutes les Breslau de la terre non. Julian dit qu'à l'heure qu'il est c'est médiocre mais qu'avec beaucoup de calme on peut encore s'en tirer... Flûte.

Notes

The men's studio at Atelier Julian was on the ground floor, while the women's section was upstairs. The male students were notorious for their teasing of the women who exhibited at the Salon. ↩
Louise Catherine Breslau (1856–1927): Swiss-born painter, fellow student at Atelier Julian, one of Marie's most successful rivals. She won a Salon mention in 1881 and went on to a distinguished career. ↩