SUZANNE VALADON

The Barnes Foundation in the US is hosting the first exhibition of French model and painter Suzanne Valadon (1865–1938). Despite her popularity and success, her work has been neglected since her death. This lavish catalogue accompanies the exhibition, exploring Valadon's life and legacy as a revolutionary artist. Valadon defied the odds to become a successful painter of the Parisian avant-garde, challenging behavioral codes and developing a distinctive pictorial language characterized by decisive lines and bold coloration. The exhibition explores her treatment of the female figure, her navigation of the art world, and her depictions of an as-yet-unidentified Black model. Contributions by Nancy Ireson, Martha Lucy, Denise Murrell, Adrienne L. Childs, and Lauren Jimerson tackle the artists treatment of the female figure, her navigation of the art world, and her depictions of an as-yet-unidentified Black model.

Format: Paperback
Publication date: 13 April 2022
Publisher: CASEMATE UK LTD

Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938) was a French model and painter who defied the odds to become a successful artist of the Parisian avant-garde. Despite her popularity and success in her lifetime, her work has been neglected since her death. Suzanne Valadon: Model, Painter, Rebel reconsiders the life and legacy of the revolutionary artist. Valadon was a self-taught woman artist who exhibited at the Salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts and the Salon des Indépendants and the Salon d'Automne. She made a living from her art at a time when women faced countless obstacles to professional success. The Barnes Foundation is the first US institution to dedicate an exhibition to Valadon, introducing American audiences to her work and story. Valadon challenged behavioral codes and left her marriage in favor of a relationship with the artist André Utter, more than twenty years her junior. While she broke new ground with her portraits and nudes, her reception was often overshadowed by criticism of her personal life, and her fame as an artist was eclipsed by that of her son.

ISBN-13: 9781913645243