She was born on the 23rd of September in 1865 in the town of Bessines-sur-Gartempe
of the Haute-Vienne department.
1865 - 1938
Suzanne Valadon
description
A successful French Post-impressionist painter, who created, apart from landscapes and still lifes, many nudes and portraits.
Suzanne (her real name was Marie-Clementine Valadon) was born into the family of a single laundress. She painted well from childhood.
Suzanne Valadon was the first woman that became a member of the National Union of the Artists of France. She was also a famous model and the mother of artist Maurice Utrillo. Works of Suzanne Valadon were purchased by the best museums around the world.
Key ideas:
– Contemporaries defined the style of Suzanne Valadon as “male.” She preferred energetic painting, built bold compositions and confidently used a contrasting palette. In terms of intensity, her colors were the closest to those taken by the Fauvists.
– Not receiving a systematic art education, Valadon “spied” the methods of those who painted her. At the same time, she did not imitate anyone’s styles.
– Although Susanna was sometimes called the last heir of Impressionism, her painting was mostly characterized by specific expressionism and a kind of “psychological realism”. The light effects used are consciously subject to bold color combinations. An important feature is clearly accentuated contours. They describe objects and divide surfaces. Simplified and powerful plastic forms appear in still lifes.
– In self-portraits (there are at least a dozen of them), the artist is self-ironic. They have neither Renoir charm nor Lautrec’s stiffness features. However, critics note the deep psychologism of these images.
– Valadon was serious about her works: she could work on one painting for over ten years.
1865
1877
1881
1883
1890
1894
1913
1914
1932
1938
The birth of the artist
She went to work at a sewing workshop
She went to work at a sewing workshop; then she was a nurse, a saleswoman and a waitress.
Worked as an acrobat at a circus
Worked as an acrobat at a circus; however, having been injured, became a model.
Was a model of Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec and Degas
Was a model of Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec and Degas. In December, she gave birth to a son, who subsequently received the name of his adopter and became a famous artist (Maurice Utrillo).
The first exhibitions
The first exhibitions in which the artist presented mostly portraits.
She became the first female artist to become a member of the French National Society of Fine Arts
She became the first female artist to become a member of the French National Society of Fine Arts.
For the first time participated in exhibitions organized by Berta Weil
For the first time participated in exhibitions organized by Berta Weil. In total, 16 collective expositions with the participation of Valadon and 3 personal exhibitions took place at the gallery of this art dealer.
Married artist A. Utter
Married artist A. Utter.
The last exhibition at B. Weil’s
The last exhibition at B. Weil’s.
The death of the artist
Suzanne Valadon died on the 7th of April in 1938 in Paris.
