The Center Pompidou is devoting a major retrospective to Suzanne Valadon, a revolutionary and little-known painter, presenting more than 200 works until May 2025, revealing her exceptional artistic influence and her courage in the face of the societal norms of her time.
Little known to the general public, Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938), one of the rare female artists to have become a star during her lifetime, is the subject of a major retrospective at the Center Pompidou in Paris, starting Wednesday.
The exhibition, which continues until the end of May, brings together more than 200 paintings, drawings and prints. Initiated by the Center Pompidou Metz in 2023, it was adapted for the Nantes Museum of Arts in 2023 and will be presented at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya in Barcelona in 2024.
With Marie Laurencin, another major female figure, several of whose paintings are also exhibited, Suzanne Valadon is described by Xavier Rey, director of the National Museum of Modern Art, as a “reference figure, criticized, but never forgotten”. This exhibition is the result of a collaboration between Nathalie Ernoult, curator at the Center Pompidou, and Chiara Parisi, director of the Center Pompidou Metz.
Although she learned painting by posing as a model for Toulouse Lautrec, Renoir and Puvis de Chavannes, Suzanne Valadon then developed a unique style which “reinvents the look”, underlines Ms. Ernoult.
-Suzanne Valadon is known for her portraits and nudes, notably The Blue Room et Adam and Evea work marked by censorship. Recent technological analysis reveals that Adam’s penis, first visible, was covered with vine leaves after restoration in the early 20th centurye century to avoid controversy.
Suzanne Valadon, mother of the painter Maurice Utrillo, defied social conventions to become a recognized artist. Introduced into the artistic circle by her friend Edgar Degas, she left her mark on the history of art with her innovative representations and her refusal of the aesthetic standards of her time.
With AFP
