Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938)
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Suzanne Valadon was one of the most famous female French artists to have ever lived. Valadon was born Marie-Clementine Valadon in Haute-Vienne, France. She was originally a model for other artists before she became a painter herself. In her teens, Valadon was an acrobat in the circus; however, at the age of 16 she fell from a trapeze and ended her circus career.
As a young woman, Valadon found her way to the Montmartre quarter of Paris where she became involved in artistic circles. It is said that she was a strikingly beautiful woman, which must have been true as she was in great demand as a model. Valadon sat for some of the most important artists of her time, namely Renoir, Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec. It is rumored that she had an affair with Renoir, and he used her in a number of his famous compositions such as “Girl Braiding her Hair.”
Valadon got her first major break as an artist from Degas, who admired her bold line drawings and paintings and purchased much of her work early on. Though it is generally thought that she was a self taught artist, it is quite likely that Valadon received training from one or more of her many artist friends. Unlike many other female painters and artists of the time, Valadon enjoyed great success, financially and artistically during her lifetime. This was in part because of her friends in high places, and also because of her great talent. In 1894, she became the first woman ever admitted to the Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts.
Despite being a well received and successful artist in her own right, Valadon eventually lived in the shadow of her talented artist son Maurice. Born Maurice Valadon (Suzanne never divulged the true identity of his father) he eventually changed his name to Maurice Utrillo, the name of a close family friend, and went on to be one of the most successful painters of his time.
Valadon led a very bohemian life as a young woman, frequenting the seedy bars of Paris and Montmartre, and essentially grew into a bizarre, if not unique woman. Being a free spirit, she would keep a goat in her studio, which she claimed to feed her bad drawings to, and fed her cats caviar on Sundays. She was also said to wear corsages made of carrots and was married and engaged numerous times.
Though her painting style is difficult to categorize, Valadon was generally a Post-Impressionist, Expressionist artist. She specialized in female nudes, still life, florals, and landscapes and is noted by art critics for her bold use of color. It is said that Valadon was also a perfectionist and waited nearly 13 years before submitting her oils to the Salons.
Valadon was quite successful until after World War I, but did not continue painting long thereafter due to illness. She lived until 1938 and died in Paris. As a testament to her great talent and respect in the art community, her funeral was attended by a number of great painters including Pablo Picasso, Andre Derain and Georges Braque.
Today, her work is housed all over the world including at the Pompidou Center in Paris as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and perhaps in your own home. Still wondering about a late 19th century French drawing or painting? Contact us…it could be by Suzanne Valadon.