It's funny because in april, I decided to study artists and would draw one name every month from a hat. So I thought I would ask my coworkers to give me names so I could discover new artists too and Suzanne Valandon was submitted ! I haven't drawn her name yet but now I'm hoping august study will be her !
What fun to see Valadon (re)discovered and enjoyed! Karen Petersen and I featured "The Blue Room" on the cover of our l976 Harper and Row "Women Artists: Recognition and Reappraisal from the Early Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century" -- we loved her being clothed and having such a comfortable body type, heck we even loved her smoking, but the deciding factor was one no one has commented on: the pile of BOOKS ON HER BED! J.J. Wilson
I've been dying to read this ever since I first saw this in my in box but have been off substack for personal reasons. HOWEVER, I had to tell you this was just what I needed! I LOOOVE Suzanne Valadon's work. I've been trying to get up the courage to write about her, actually, as I'm such a huge fan and your commentary in the end about male nudity by female artists was exactly the topic I wanted to tackle. I just adore her work. It's so engrossing and her ability to use colors to enhance her work are almost hypnotic. Absolutely lovely piece Anne, and I'm so excited to read all the extra pieces you linked to!
I was familiar with The Blue Room but not its painter, and I love the enigmatic face of The Reclining Nude. I read Jane Clatworthy’s thoughts and found them clarifying and also that I agree with her. Thank you Anne!
What a wonderful discovery! I love how brazen her work is and how she defied norms in her personal life too. Makes you wonder how different our perception of beauty and power would be if more woman had been encouraged to express themselves. I live in Paris and will definitely visit the museum in Montmartre now.
Two comments: I never heard of Suzanne Valadon, but I love The Blue Room. Stupendous! Also, the photo shows her with a VERY FAT CAT, and I love it! I do a lot of work with homeless animals, and it does my heart good to see that gorgeous Parisian kitty being taken care of so well.
I’d not heard of Suzanne Valadon. I really enjoyed your exploration of her work and barrier-breaking! After some research I learned she was one of small coterie of female artists represented by Parisian gallery owner/operator Berthe Weil, who also represented Emilie Charmy, whose life and work l am deeply interested in and am researching for. I love it when one thread pulled from history unspools another.
Very cool! I’ve recently come across Charmy as well and have her on my list of possible subjects. So great that you are working on her. Are you writing an article?
Yes, a hybrid essay/article. I came across one of Charmy's paintings at the Chicago Museum of Art, enjoyed her style, and learned she was one of the few female Fauvists. Like Valadon, she also redefined the so-called "female gaze." Her self-portraits, style, and friendships stood out to me so much so that I wanted to explore a specific angle of her story. Email me for more info and dialogue, if you 're interested.
Hey, there was Note here yesterday re Sebastian Faulks analogy between painting and writing to introduce layers into a story.
I often turn to art as a helpmate to thinking and writing. I’m so pleased I chanced in this piece on Valadon and, particularly, her work on the male nude
Thank you for introducing me to this amazing artist, one I'd never heard of before. I love her piece, "The Blue Room." It symbolizes a woman completely at home in her body, and yes, defiantly not giving any f**ks.
Great post on an artist whom I coincidentally recently discovered, and whose revolutionary, female-gaze nudes I love. This book, which I gave as a gift to a friend, might be of interest: https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526159830/
Fabulous. I didn't know this artist, and she is very fine. Thank you for the intro and for opening a question I hadn't considered: the male nude, especially as painted by a woman. I'm sorry she felt she had to hide the genitalia. Adam and Eve makes no sense as Eve reaches for the apple and Adam is already figged. I'll be reading more about Valadon. The old story: a woman's "morals" work against her, but a man's art remains the focus. Good work you're doing here.
Valadon does seem to have been one of the first to turn the female gaze on the male nude in her paintings. Thank you for including some of the paintings which exemplify the distinctive ways she painted female nudes. I am fascinated by the fact that she was able to exhibit these works at that time. It is a contrast to the experience of Jacqueline Livingston, a photographer, who was the first to turn the female gaze on the male nude in the 1970s. Her exhibition of photos of her husband and son at Cornell University led to her firing in 1978. She was one of the Cornell 8. Jackie, like Valadon, inverts the relationship between male dominance and female submission in her art. I'm going down the Giulina Lama rabbit hole.
Thank you for this — it was a revelation. Had never heard of Valadon or seen her work, and that first image of hers, the re-invented nude, is truly startling. The kind of transformation of a paradigm that seems so natural once one sees it (the transformation) but in fact brings a completely new way of thinking into the discussion. Great article and images both.
There’s something about the Blue Room that reminds me of some women in my family (not to be named). I love, love, love this post. The images really help bring her to life. Thanks for sharing.
“In her most famous female nude (above), the figure looks straight at the (male) viewer with a look that has been variously characterized as indifferent, defiant, and uncertain. “. For what it’s worth, my impression of this image — the reason I find it so paradigm-changing — is very different: I see it as focused on externalizing and sharing an internal experience, ie as not interested in the viewer’s gaze (male or otherwise) at all. It’s remarkable, I think.
Anne, what a pleasure to wake up with this revelatory introduction to a neglected trailblazer. I particularly appreciated your discovery of Valadon’s male nudes. Thank you.
It's funny because in april, I decided to study artists and would draw one name every month from a hat. So I thought I would ask my coworkers to give me names so I could discover new artists too and Suzanne Valandon was submitted ! I haven't drawn her name yet but now I'm hoping august study will be her !
What fun to see Valadon (re)discovered and enjoyed! Karen Petersen and I featured "The Blue Room" on the cover of our l976 Harper and Row "Women Artists: Recognition and Reappraisal from the Early Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century" -- we loved her being clothed and having such a comfortable body type, heck we even loved her smoking, but the deciding factor was one no one has commented on: the pile of BOOKS ON HER BED! J.J. Wilson
Ha! Love it!!!
I've been dying to read this ever since I first saw this in my in box but have been off substack for personal reasons. HOWEVER, I had to tell you this was just what I needed! I LOOOVE Suzanne Valadon's work. I've been trying to get up the courage to write about her, actually, as I'm such a huge fan and your commentary in the end about male nudity by female artists was exactly the topic I wanted to tackle. I just adore her work. It's so engrossing and her ability to use colors to enhance her work are almost hypnotic. Absolutely lovely piece Anne, and I'm so excited to read all the extra pieces you linked to!
Wonderful, Luka! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it! Valadon has become a new favorite of mine as well.
Who needs clothed male models at school when you have a young male lover at home. Good for her. Thank you for the introduction!
So well said!! (And so great to hear from you, Monica!)
I was familiar with The Blue Room but not its painter, and I love the enigmatic face of The Reclining Nude. I read Jane Clatworthy’s thoughts and found them clarifying and also that I agree with her. Thank you Anne!
Glad you enjoyed it, Emily!
What a wonderful discovery! I love how brazen her work is and how she defied norms in her personal life too. Makes you wonder how different our perception of beauty and power would be if more woman had been encouraged to express themselves. I live in Paris and will definitely visit the museum in Montmartre now.
That’s wonderful, Zeva! I’m so glad you can go see her studio. Glad you enjoyed learning about her.
Two comments: I never heard of Suzanne Valadon, but I love The Blue Room. Stupendous! Also, the photo shows her with a VERY FAT CAT, and I love it! I do a lot of work with homeless animals, and it does my heart good to see that gorgeous Parisian kitty being taken care of so well.
Yes, I loved that picture of her with the cat. Had to include it.
I’d not heard of Suzanne Valadon. I really enjoyed your exploration of her work and barrier-breaking! After some research I learned she was one of small coterie of female artists represented by Parisian gallery owner/operator Berthe Weil, who also represented Emilie Charmy, whose life and work l am deeply interested in and am researching for. I love it when one thread pulled from history unspools another.
Very cool! I’ve recently come across Charmy as well and have her on my list of possible subjects. So great that you are working on her. Are you writing an article?
Yes, a hybrid essay/article. I came across one of Charmy's paintings at the Chicago Museum of Art, enjoyed her style, and learned she was one of the few female Fauvists. Like Valadon, she also redefined the so-called "female gaze." Her self-portraits, style, and friendships stood out to me so much so that I wanted to explore a specific angle of her story. Email me for more info and dialogue, if you 're interested.
Hey, there was Note here yesterday re Sebastian Faulks analogy between painting and writing to introduce layers into a story.
I often turn to art as a helpmate to thinking and writing. I’m so pleased I chanced in this piece on Valadon and, particularly, her work on the male nude
So glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for this! What a pleasure to be reminded of Valdon’s work and to dwell in her world for a while.
So glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for introducing me to this amazing artist, one I'd never heard of before. I love her piece, "The Blue Room." It symbolizes a woman completely at home in her body, and yes, defiantly not giving any f**ks.
Smoking in pajamas as you lounge on the couch...How I miss those days!
I’m happy to have introduced her to you!
Great post on an artist whom I coincidentally recently discovered, and whose revolutionary, female-gaze nudes I love. This book, which I gave as a gift to a friend, might be of interest: https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526159830/
Yes! I saw that book when I was doing my research. Looks super interesting!
Fabulous. I didn't know this artist, and she is very fine. Thank you for the intro and for opening a question I hadn't considered: the male nude, especially as painted by a woman. I'm sorry she felt she had to hide the genitalia. Adam and Eve makes no sense as Eve reaches for the apple and Adam is already figged. I'll be reading more about Valadon. The old story: a woman's "morals" work against her, but a man's art remains the focus. Good work you're doing here.
Thank you, Miki! And excellent point you make about Adam’s fig leaves! 😂
Valadon does seem to have been one of the first to turn the female gaze on the male nude in her paintings. Thank you for including some of the paintings which exemplify the distinctive ways she painted female nudes. I am fascinated by the fact that she was able to exhibit these works at that time. It is a contrast to the experience of Jacqueline Livingston, a photographer, who was the first to turn the female gaze on the male nude in the 1970s. Her exhibition of photos of her husband and son at Cornell University led to her firing in 1978. She was one of the Cornell 8. Jackie, like Valadon, inverts the relationship between male dominance and female submission in her art. I'm going down the Giulina Lama rabbit hole.
Wow! I don’t know her story. I’ll have to learn more.
Here's some background info I wrote about shortly after she died in 2013. https://www.swensonbookdevelopment.com/blog/2013/jacqueline-louise-barrett-livingston-brisette-1943-2013/
Lovely piece, Jill!
I think Yale U Art Gallery has one of her most controversial pieces in their collection. Jackie was audacious in every aspect of her being!
Thanks!
Thank you for this — it was a revelation. Had never heard of Valadon or seen her work, and that first image of hers, the re-invented nude, is truly startling. The kind of transformation of a paradigm that seems so natural once one sees it (the transformation) but in fact brings a completely new way of thinking into the discussion. Great article and images both.
Agreed!!! I love the first image AND The Blue Room.
There’s something about the Blue Room that reminds me of some women in my family (not to be named). I love, love, love this post. The images really help bring her to life. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad! Thank you, Etta!
“In her most famous female nude (above), the figure looks straight at the (male) viewer with a look that has been variously characterized as indifferent, defiant, and uncertain. “. For what it’s worth, my impression of this image — the reason I find it so paradigm-changing — is very different: I see it as focused on externalizing and sharing an internal experience, ie as not interested in the viewer’s gaze (male or otherwise) at all. It’s remarkable, I think.
Perfect! It is such an arresting image. I see new things every time I look at it!
Anne, what a pleasure to wake up with this revelatory introduction to a neglected trailblazer. I particularly appreciated your discovery of Valadon’s male nudes. Thank you.
Too funny -had already started my reply before I read yours. We both had a sense of it being revelatory — that’s pretty powerful stuff.
(But please see further comment below.)
I’m so glad to have brightened up your Saturday morning with Valadon’s story and some lovely male nudes! :)