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<DIV>“There is an odd, distressing story of her behaviour a few days before they
came back to England. The Stephens had been taken by Clive Bell to
visit Rodin’s studio. Rodin told them they could touch anything except the
sculptures which were under wraps. Virginia immediately started to unwrap
one of the unfinished works. The English painter Gerald Kelly, who
witnessed the scene, said that Rodin slapped her.”</DIV>
<DIV>(H. Lee, p. 199; info. from Mrs Valerie Eliot, p. 793 n111)</DIV>
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<DIV>This does not seem unlikely, as VW was on the verge of a breakdown.</DIV>
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<DIV>However, Clive Bell wrote: “I got into a scrape with him [Rodin] later for
touching a lay-figure in his studio. He paid me out too; for when I went
with Thoby Stephen ...”</DIV>
<DIV>(“Old Friends”, p. 150)</DIV>
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<DIV>The coincidence makes me feel uncomfortable about the truth of the VW
anecdote.</DIV>
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<DIV>Stuart</DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>