Suzanne Valadon
Born – Bessines, near Limoges, France 1865
Died – Paris, France 1938
Suzanne Valadon moved to Paris as a child and from an early age made her living as an acrobat, dressmaker and artist’s model. She posed for Puvis de Chavannes, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec and Degas, who encouraged her to draw. Valadon started to paint in 1909. Her work, featuring still life and figure subjects, retained a strong linear quality. Her primitive, decorative style was later influenced by both Matisse and Derain. She was keenly aware of the dichotomy involved in being both an artist and a model. In 1927, she produced a poster for a Parisian benefit dance. As the back view of a naked woman holding up a palette, the image called into question the role of the female nude as object for the male artist. In the assertive Self Portrait (1883) seen here, Valadon centres on her determined facial expression. A renowned beauty, she depicts her own heavy jaw line and dark feature with unerring realism. Her treatment of herself is in stark contrast to the idealized version of feminity presented in the many paintings for which she posed.
Masterpieces:
- Nu á la Couverture Rayée
- Nu á la Palette
Text: The A-Z of Art, Nicola Hodge and Libby Anson.
Books About suzanne valadon
Suzanne Valadon: The Mistress of Montmartre
June Rose
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Suzanne Valadon (Universe Series on Women Artists)
Therese D. Rosinsky
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Suzanne : of Love and Art
Elaine Todd Koren
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